HUNTRESS
by LibraQueen13
Summary: BONENZO. Bonnie Bennett left Mystic Falls 5 years ago to continue the huntress legacy of the Bennett women. Now she's back to take down the Heretics. On her mission she meets Enzo St. John who works for the Armory. As Enzo starts falling for Bonnie, with his connection to the Heretics and the Armory where should his loyalty lie and who should Bonnie trust? ***Rated M***
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own TVD or any of its characters.**

 **So I haven't completely given up on my first ever TVD fic 'Muse (Beneath Her Beautiful)', but there are some important details I'm trying to figure out before I can decide how to continue with that story. I think we all know that sometimes things don't quite make sense or contradict themselves in TVD land, and, you can either try to get it to make sense in your own way or just go with the contradictory flow to keep the story moving along.**

 **Anyway, I loved the huntress arc and the idea of somehow using it in a fic has been buzzing around in my head for a while. This new fic goes along with some of the events that have happened over the history of TVD with the main difference being that Bonnie has never been a witch. The timeline of events also needed a bit of a shuffle to fit in with my new storyline too, so I hope it doesn't get too confusing. Here it goes…**

 ** _2 Weeks Ago…_**

Bonnie Bennett stood outside of a small movie theatre across the street from a busy gay bar in San Francisco waiting for her target to make an exit. She had dressed herself up in a shimmering red halter neck top, black skinny jeans, tall black wedge heeled boots and a black leather jacket to spend an hour inside the bar observing the Russell Brand lookalike groom his next victim. His MO was always the same. Hit up a gay bar, a nightclub or some kind of party. Target some solitary, vulnerable man, turn on the charm, throw in a few drinks to loosen him up then take him to a park or woodland and drain him of his blood.

What pissed Bonnie off almost as much as the fact that this vampire was murdering innocent men, was the fact that he chose to seduce and manipulate them before ending their lives. What was the point? Why not just attack a random guy taking a midnight stroll to feed? Why go through the effort of spending time with them; making them feel like he gave two shits about them? What was even worse was that this vampire's victims were getting younger and younger. Two of his recent victims had been under the age of 16.

Bonnie could never get her head around the motives of many of the vampires she hunted. Being a huntress for the last five years she had taken out some of the most evil vampires in the United States. The dreams she had when she slept at night led her to her targets and her current target was making an exit with his arm thrown around his next victim's shoulders. Poor guy barely looked 18 with his blonde hair and slim frame. He turned to look at his would-be killer admiringly and again bonnie asked herself why this piece of shit vampire got pleasure out of playing with his victims' emotions before slaughtering them.

Bonnie followed the two men staying out of sight as they reached a park about 10 minutes away from the bar. She heard the blonde man laughing flirtatiously as she used trees and bushes to keep herself hidden. She put her hand inside of her leather jacket holding the wooden stake but not removing it. This was going to be a bit of a messy kill. She would have to kick the blonde down to keep him from seeing her take the vampire by surprise; running that stake through his heart faster than he could blink. If the kick didn't knock out the would-be victim she'd have to use a pressure point move to the neck to make him lose consciousness. That would give her time to remove the vamp's body from the scene and get the blonde to a safer place.

She quietly stepped out behind them ready to make her move. The vampire dropped to the ground suddenly. His would-be victim stared at him in confusion then horror as he fell to his knees looking at the wooden stake that was lodged in the vampire's chest.

"What the fuck!" Bonnie exclaimed as the blonde man turned to look up at her.

Then they both turned to look towards a voice that said, "Bonnie…?".

It took her a few seconds to recognize the voice of the man who appeared several feet in front of her, illuminated by the tall, overhead lamps along the path in the park.

"Jeremy…?" she said in shock looking at the stake gun in his hand as the realization hit her that he was a hunter.

She was more than a little bit pissed off that he had interfered with her mission especially since they had a witness. The blonde man looked back down at the body of his would-be killer, passing out at the sight of the inhuman remains. Bonnie and Jeremy looked down at the blonde before looking back at each other.

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy asked looking Bonnie up and down, taking in the outfit which was a little more sexy-bad-girl than he was used to seeing her in, and her loosely curled hair, which appeared to now be a dark violet colour under the artificial light.

"What am I doing here…you just took out _my_ target." Bonnie responded with one hand on her hip.

"Looks like we have some catching up to do…" Jeremy told her with a smirk.

 ** _Present Day…_**

Bonnie and Jeremy sat in his car outside a bar in Mystic Falls. The last time she was here she was 18 years old. As with all the Bennett women, once they turned 18 they became a vampire huntress. On Bonnie's 18th birthday her father was the one to reveal the little he knew about her legacy. Each generation was supposed to train the next. Bonnie's grandmother had been a huntress, as had Bonnie's mother. But her mother had left when she was just 3 years old and since they hadn't seen her since they presumed she was dead.

Bonnie's grandmother died from a heart attack when she was 17 years old and with no one in Mystic Falls to help her with the transition she made contact with her cousin, Lucy Bennett, and moved to stay with her in California so that Lucy could help her. But that wasn't the only reason Bonnie left Mystic Falls.

The first year of being a huntress was always the hardest. The uncontrollable urge to kill vampires was at its strongest. Bonnie's best friends were vampires. Caroline Forbes had been a vampire for a year before Bonnie turned 18 and Elena Gilbert had been turned just months before Bonnie's birthday. Elena's boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore was also a vampire along with his brother Damon, whose blood had turned both of Bonnie's friends into vampires.

A few days before Bonnie turned 18 she began to have dreams of killing her vampire friends. As the dreams continued and she discovered that she was destined to be a huntress she left Mystic Falls. She couldn't risk killing the people she cared about, so she wrote Caroline and Elena a letter, telling them that she had some stuff to work out regarding her mother and that she'd contact them when she got herself together. She hadn't made contact with them since.

"What the hell is taking her so long? She's been in there for 3 and a half hours," Bonnie said agitated.

When Bonnie and Jeremy had spent time caching up she agreed to work with him on their current mission. Coincidently, she'd been having dreams about Jeremy's next target. It was going to be a difficult one so it made sense to team up, despite the fact that female huntresses tended to work alone, while male hunters belonged to a society.

"Ok, here we go," Jeremy said as their dark haired female target exited the bar with a dark haired man.

"Who the hell is that?" Bonnie questioned referring to the man now accompanying their target who had entered the bar alone.

"I don't know, maybe her next victim," Jeremy replied.

They got out of the car and followed their target as she made her way along the quiet streets with the dark haired man. _This looks like it's gonna get messy again_ , Bonnie thought to herself. Jeremy carried the vervain tranquilizer gun, hiding it inside his jacket. He insisted that he would take the shot. Bonnie had been pissed off by his chauvinism but she'd let him play 'the man' for now. Following at a safe distance onto a deserted part of the street Jeremy took out the tranquilizer gun. In the same second he took the shot the dark haired man turned around to see them then pushed the woman out of the way. She turned around to look at Bonnie and Jeremy and in another second she and her companion attempted to use vamp speed to escape. Jeremy had taken a second shot, accidently hitting the man instead of the woman who disappeared into the darkness.

"Nice shot Kobe!" Bonnie said sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm not used to having a gorgeous girl by my side when I'm on a mission. I got distracted," he replied with a flirtatious grin.

Bonnie had dated Jeremy in the past but he never quite got over his ex-girlfriend Anna, which was blatantly obvious since he'd called Bonnie Anna on more than one occasion when they were having intimate moments. Being Elena's younger brother it was always a bit of an unusual situation and it seemed even weirder to Bonnie now. For her the feelings were long gone; that ship had sailed. And despite his flirtation since they'd come back into contact, now she could only ever see him as her best friend's little brother.

#

While Jeremy loaded the unconscious man's - strike that - vampire's body into the boot of car, Bonnie had run off to try and see if she could spot their female target. As expected she had no luck so she and Jeremy took their John Doe to the Gilbert house. Jeremy had informed Bonnie that a few years after she left Elena finished things with Stefan and got together with Damon. But about a year ago she left Damon and was now a medical student in Boston. The Gilbert house belonged to Elena and Jeremy and they planned to rent it out but hadn't agreed on tenants yet, so it was still unoccupied and friends kept an eye on the place.

Bonnie and Jeremy tied the John Doe to a chair with vervain soaked ropes in the Gilbert house. As he began to come-to the first thing that he saw was a green-eyed, caramel-skinned young woman with curly dark purple hair. Her beauty wasn't lost on him, but considering he was apparently the victim of a kidnapping, the woman's attractiveness was the last thing he should have been thinking about. He was in an unknown kitchen and a tall, hulk-ish brown haired man stood next to the petite woman. They both stared at him.

"Where is she?" the John Doe asked looking around.

"You tell me," Jeremy responded. "She disappeared into the night and left your ass behind, so I'm guessing you might have a better idea about where she went than I do."

The John Doe looked away refusing to speak.

"Who are you?" Bonnie asked.

He still wouldn't speak.

"Look, I don't have all night," Bonnie told him with a heavy sigh.

He remained silent.

"Ok," she said picking up a bottle of clear fluid.

She walked up to the John Doe and held his face with one hand, trying to squeeze his mouth open at the same time. He noticed her enticing warm vanilla scent as she leaned over him. _The only soft thing about this tough woman,_ he thought. Now that she was closer he thought she looked familiar. The features all looked very similar to a face he knew, but the eyes were a different colour. His thoughts were interrupted as the woman began to pour the liquid onto his lips. He yelled as he felt the burning sensation of vervain on his skin. It trickled into his mouth causing him even more pain.

She stopped then said to him, "You gonna talk now?"

Just as he was about to answer the front door flew open. As they all turned to look a blast from Bonnie's past walked towards them in the kitchen.

"Damon?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Bonnie said annoyed after the initial shock of seeing him.

"Bonnie Bennett…? What the hell are you doing to Enzo?" he replied.

Enzo put two and two together. He knew exactly who this woman was.

"You know him?" Jeremy asked Damon still surprised by Damon's appearance in his house.

"Only for the last 60 years give or take." Damon said with regard to his friend. He took a swig from the bottle of bourbon that was in his hand when he entered the house.

Enzo had arrived in Mystic Falls not long after Jeremy left to train as a hunter.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked Bonnie and Jeremy.

They looked at each other.

"We're here to deal with the Heretics," Bonnie revealed.

Enzo shifted uncomfortably in the chair at the revelation.

"What do you mean we?" Damon inquired.

After a long pause Bonnie answered, "I'm a huntress."

"No shit!" Damon said taking another sip of bourbon. "So that's why you left, huh?"

"Yeah. Lucky for you, you would've been my first target!" she responded with a sarcastic smile.

"Ahh," Damon mocked, holding his chest as if she'd seriously hurt his feelings.

Enzo chuckled in the background at the banter. Bonnie looked at him. _He's kinda good looking when he smiles,_ she thought, then dismissed it.

"Well...I gotta say Bon Bon, the whole huntress persona looks good on you…with the whole Jessica Jones superhero hair and everything," Damon complimented her, referring to the purple haired comic book character.

Whether or not the compliment was genuine she couldn't tell. But, her typical badass huntress attire of black skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, biker boots and a leather jacket was a far cry from the earthy style of pre-huntress Bonnie.

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy asked Damon.

"He comes here at least twice a week to drown his sorrows and cry on the steps outside, brooding over the loss of his love of his life," Enzo taunted Damon.

Damon scowled at Enzo.

"What exactly did you do to fuck up with Elena, Damon?" Bonnie asked him.

"Why do you assume I fucked up?" Damon replied defensively.

"Because that's what you do," Bonnie answered harshly.

Enzo chuckled again. Something about the way Bonnie was so tough on Damon made her even more appealing to him.

"Do you want me to let her continue torturing you?" Damon said to Enzo. To Bonnie he said, "Short version – we found a cure for vampirism, she took it, I didn't, I compelled her to move on."

Jeremy hadn't told her about Elena becoming human again.

"Are you fucking with me?" Bonnie said seriously.

"No, we really found a cure…" Damon answered.

"I'm not talking about that…Damon Salvatore genuinely committed a selfless act?" Bonnie said legitimately surprised.

"You really compelled her to move on?" Jeremy added.

"Why is that so hard for you two to believe? Enzo, tell them," Damon requested.

"Don't know what you're talking about, mate," Enzo responded in revenge for Damon joking about letting Bonnie torture him.

"Tell you what, how about I just leave your ass here and let the hunters kill you or whatever it is they're planning to do with you…" Damon told him annoyed.

Enzo smirked before speaking. "He did it. He compelled her to ride off into the sunset and live a happy Damon-free life."

"Well shit," Bonnie said. "Never woulda seen that one coming."

"Yeah, yeah," Damon said, taking a huge gulp of bourbon.

Enzo cleared his throat. "Any chance you could untie me now you're done catching up?

"When you tell us what you were doing with the Heretic?" Jeremy told him.

"Don't tell me you've been hanging out with Lily again," Damon scoffed. "You can't hang out with a guy one minute, then hang out with his mother the next."

Bonnie's eyebrows knotted in confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"That's who you're after isn't it? Lily Salvatore aka Heretic aka my wonderful mother!" Damon answered sarcastically.

"Jeremy?! How could you not tell me she was a Salvatore?!" Bonnie was ready to bust Jeremy's balls while Enzo laughed in the background and Damon downed some more bourbon.

"You're working with another hunter and he doesn't even tell you who your target is…" Enzo said then continued to laugh.

"Will you shut the fuck up!" Bonnie warned Enzo. "Jeremy?" she continued.

"Look, Bon, the Heretics are cold-blooded killers. Does it matter whose mother they are? I thought the point of being a huntress was to take out the bad guys," Jeremy replied.

"That's where a _hunter_ and a _huntress_ differ Jer. Half the time you guys just hunt vampires for sport, we women are out there trying to eradicate the worst of the vampire species. It's not all black and white." Bonnie turned to Damon. "Damon, if I knew she was yours and Stefan's mom…"

"Nothing to do with me," Damon said before she could finish her sentence.

"What?" Bonnie was confused.

"Damon cares for Lily about as much as a dog cares about where it's gonna take its next shit," Enzo informed her. "I on the other hand actually do care what happens to Lily, as for the other Heretics, not so much. And if you untie me maybe we can work out a way for all of us to get what we want."

"And why should I trust you?" Bonnie said skeptically, folding her arms.

"Because I know where your mother is Bonnie Bennett," Enzo told her.

 **Thanks for reading! I can't make any promises about the progression of this fic but I'm interested to know what you think of this first chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews, they're always welcome and appreciated. This fic will be a real test for me as I struggle with the supernatural and mythological elements of a story. Hopefully it will all come together in the end!**

 **Chapter 2**

Bonnie stared at Enzo trying to comprehend the words he had just said to her.

"What do _you_ know about my mother?" Bonnie said to Enzo still skeptical about his motives.

"Untie me and we can talk," he answered.

"I don't think so. I don't know you from Adam. How do I know you won't just vamp speed your ass out of here as soon as I cut those ropes?" she told him.

Enzo stared at her for a moment. It was clear that Bonnie's mother was a sensitive subject with her, as expected. As much as he did want to vamp speed his ass out of there to go and tell Lily Salvatore to get as far away from Mystic Falls as possible, before the hunters or _someone else_ got to her, he couldn't help but sympathize with the huntress. He knew what it was like to feel like a piece of you was missing and he knew what it was like to be used and manipulated. He had valuable information and the fact that the huntress was willing to have second thoughts about killing Lily _because_ Lily was her friends' (?) mother, gave Enzo enough motivation to find out what she was about and to see if they could compromise. The hunter would be a different story though it seemed.

"We have a common interest in the Heretics. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and share what I know if you don't go after Lily," Enzo said to Bonnie.

"No," Jeremy told him bluntly.

"He wasn't talking to you," Bonnie said to Jeremy, still pissed off that he failed to mention Lily was Stefan and Damon's mother.

"You're seriously gonna let her go and continue to slaughter innocent people just because she's related to him and Stefan," Jeremy responded nodding towards Damon. "You've seen what the Heretics do to people in your dreams, Bon. As a huntress you have a duty to take her out."

Enzo looked as if he wanted to tear Jeremy's throat out at that last comment. Bonnie sighed and looked around the room weighing up her options. She walked over to Damon, grabbed the bottle of bourbon out of his hand and took a big gulp, shuddering at the taste.

"Hey!" Damon yelled at Bonnie's unexpected action.

Bonnie just looked at him not giving a shit as she took another gulp of the liquor. And another.

"Is he gonna screw me over if I trust him?" she asked Damon referring to Enzo's proposition.

"I don't know…he can be kinda sketchy at times... a little confused about whose side he's on…" Damon answered alluding to his friend's poor decision making in the past.

Enzo rolled his eyes. Damon wasn't lying and in a way it did seem as though Enzo was playing various sides with his 'connections' but he'd calmed down a lot since he'd been in Mystic Falls and his moral compass was a little bit more stable than Damon's.

"You can probably trust him about as much as you can trust me," Damon continued.

Jeremy snickered.

"Ok, so I might as well slit my own throat right now, huh, save him the trouble," Bonnie said with a sneer.

She actually trusted Damon more than she was willing to admit, but she couldn't resist sustaining their sarcastic banter. As much as Bonnie and Damon loved to hate each other Damon didn't have a reason to let Enzo screw her over. Bonnie didn't feel as though she had anything to lose by talking to the guy.

Bonnie walked up to Enzo with the bottle of bourbon still in her hand. She took a sip before speaking.

"Fuck with me and staking you will be number one on my 'to do' list," she warned Enzo.

Why he found the tone of her threat to be a turn on he had no idea. From the second he'd opened his eyes to see her standing in his line of vision somehow he'd felt intrigued and drawn to her… Maybe he just needed to feed…

She leaned behind him and pulled a pocket knife out of the inside of her jacket with her free hand, cutting the ropes which had restrained his hands behind him. Enzo rubbed his sore wrists as they began to heal from the burns caused by the vervain on the ropes. Bonnie was about to put the bottle of bourbon to her mouth as he snatched the bottle from her hand, his fingers brushing against hers in the process. He looked into her eyes as he swallowed the drink and there was a moment of undeniable sexual tension. _What the hell…_ Bonnie thought to herself, confused by the feeling of attraction. Before she could dwell on her thoughts Jeremy spoke:

"Seriously! You're gonna trust this guy?"

It took her a few seconds to respond as she was still a little distracted by Enzo's mischievous brown eyes, which continued to watch her as he took a few more sips of Damon's bourbon.

Still looking at Enzo Bonnie said to Jeremy, "We have nothing to lose." _Except maybe my panties…Whoa! Where the hell did that come from!_ She thought to herself and turned to face Jeremy in an attempt to block out any further inappropriate thoughts about Damon's friend.

"This is my mission too you know," Jeremy reminded her.

"How could I forget," she said thinking of how determined he was to be 'the man' and take charge and right now she wasn't having any of it. "But _this_ , is also about _my_ mother who left when I was so young that I don't even remember her. So unless you want me to lay you out, which we both know I can do with one hand behind my back, since _huntresses_ are naturally _stronger_ and _quicker_ than _hunters_ , I suggest you let me deal with shit my way."

Enzo smirked at her assertiveness and Damon was about to dish out one of his witty one-liners but Bonnie cut him off not wanting to waste more time.

"Damon…" she said putting her hand up in a 'don't even go there' gesture.

All he could do was shrug with a twist of his mouth.

"I wanna talk to you in private," Jeremy said to Bonnie with a serious expression, trying to gain back some control and his dignity.

"No," Bonnie said bluntly. "And I changed my mind, I won't be staying here tonight. I'll find a motel or something."

She hadn't been keen on the idea of staying at the Gilbert house alone with her ex to begin with, but she thought one night wouldn't hurt. Although she had been concerned that she might accidently kill Jeremy if he snuck into her room while she was sleeping, which was a possibility with the way he'd been flirting with her before they arrived back in Mystic Falls, and it was beginning to get on her last nerve.

"You can stay at the boarding house with me and Stefan for as long as you want," Damon intervened.

"Great," Bonnie replied to annoy Jeremy and because she was too tired to make other arrangements.

"Whatever…" Jeremy said with a huff as he began to walk towards the stairway.

"Let's go then," Bonnie said taking the bottle of bourbon back from Enzo.

 _How is it that one small woman can be surrounded by two vampires and a hunter built like 'The Rock' and she's the one in charge?_ Enzo thought to himself a little in awe of Bonnie.

They made their way out of the house and the two vampires followed Bonnie down the steps to her car. She'd followed Jeremy to the Gilbert house as he'd transported Enzo there in his own car.

"Your friend is coming to the boarding house with us tonight," Bonnie insisted referring to Enzo. "We still have a lot to talk about."

"Course he is," Damon began. "He lives there too."

Bonnie turned around abruptly, lucky that she didn't trip over in the process. She looked at Enzo who gave her a sly grin. _Shit!_ Bonnie thought to herself. _Looks like I really could end up losing my panties…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for your comments on the last chapter : ) Hope you enjoy this one!**

 **Chapter 3**

Bonnie agreed to let Damon drive her car to the Salvatore Boarding House. Between tiredness, hunger and the bourbon she was feeling worse for wear. Her mind was overwhelmed with thoughts. She had a mission to complete; people to catch up with in Mystic Falls (her dad was number one on that list); plus she had to deal with the revelation about her mother. Then there was the ridiculous attraction to the vampire sitting in the back seat of her car. She had no business even entertaining the possibility of something happening with Enzo. There were more important things to worry about.

 _It's just a physical attraction_ , she told herself. _It doesn't mean anything…_ _Damon's good looking too but I have no desire to do anything with him... unlike Enzo... maybe just... no..._ Ok so that logic was failing. Anyway, there must have been some unwritten law of nature that said it was forbidden for a huntress and vampire to hook up. It didn't help that to her knowledge no such rule existed, but it must at least be frowned upon by the supernatural community. For now Bonnie would put her feelings down to a dry spell.

She'd dated and had a few boyfriends since becoming a huntress, but she could never get too close to them emotionally because of the huntress legacy. In the end those relationships were destined to fail.

Despite being a huntress Bonnie wasn't inhuman. She still had basic human needs. She still needed to eat and sleep. And she was still able to enjoy life's simple pleasures, like going out; relaxing for a day; sex. She just couldn't indulge in those things as much as a normal young woman could since being a huntress was her priority.

Bonnie was quiet during the drive; lost in her own thoughts. Enzo and Damon engaged in a little conversation but she wasn't paying attention. They picked up some Thai food on the way to the Salvatore Boarding House as a house full of vampires didn't stock up on food.

Bonnie was eager to find out what Enzo knew about her mom but she needed to reenergize and organize her thoughts first. A little food and caffeine in the form of her favourite soft drink - cherry cola - would be a start. She was desperate for a shower and sleep too, but she wanted to get at least a little information out of Enzo before the night was over.

When they reached their destination Bonnie and Enzo sat on the sofas opposite each other near the fireplace in the living room. Bonnie dug into her food while Enzo sipped on a glass of blood. Damon sipped on bourbon sitting in one of the chairs near the couch that Bonnie was sitting on.

Enzo had been staring at Bonnie without even realizing it. He watched her as she ate and sipped on cherry cola, observing the weary look in her bewitching green eyes and the way the fire illuminated her curly, dark violet locks, which fell several inches past her shoulders.

"What…? You want some?" she asked him when she caught him staring at her.

"I'm good," he said holding up his glass of blood.

 _What is it about her?_ He asked himself. Sure she was gorgeous, but so were plenty of other women. Not to mention that those other women _didn't_ have an occupation that involved assassinating his species. The attraction was definitely taboo. Maybe that was the appeal...

Enzo wasn't exactly a 'man whore' but if he came across a woman who he found appealing he would partake in the physical pleasures on offer. Deep down he had always hoped he'd find a woman he really connected with, but he was picky and he wouldn't settle for second best. He also wouldn't play games. When he had an encounter with a woman he always made his intentions clear.

#

"So how does this huntress thing work?" Damon asked once they'd spent a little time recuperating from the evening's events so far. "Do I have to worry about you staking me in the middle of the night?"

"I can't make you any promises," Bonnie joked still sipping on her cherry cola.

They shared a genuine smile. Enzo felt slightly left out for some reason.

"You don't have to worry. Once the first year of becoming a huntress is over the urge to kill is usually under control. Everything becomes more focused and we're led to eliminate the most corrupt vampires rather than randoms," Bonnie informed him.

Enzo joined in the conversation. "So is what you said true about huntresses being stronger and quicker than hunters?" he asked Bonnie.

"Yes," she answered. "I guess its nature's way of preventing the guys from abusing the power. With all that testosterone and the drive to hunt they can already get really competitive. It's better that they don't have the extra strength too," Enzo watched her with fascination as she continued to speak. "With the women things are more about instinct and keeping the balance in nature. We have dreams, kinda like visions, that give us clues about who we have to hunt. Male hunters are part of a society that research vampire activity and targets and they get tip offs too. They use that information to instruct the hunters on who to kill."

"What do you see in your dreams?" Enzo asked her and somehow the question came across in such an intimate way that she had to look away from him.

"Faces, scenes, if I'm lucky I'll hear them speak. Very rarely I'll hear a name. The biggest clue is the locations. I'll see a place and instinctively know where it is. Sometimes I can pick up on a sense of time too… Like if something has already happened or if it's going to happen. Not the exact moment but maybe the day it's going to happen," she answered.

"So you're like Bonnie the psychic vampire hunter," Damon quipped.

"Not exactly," Bonnie said. "But the dreams definitely help."

"What qualifies as evil enough to be hunted?" Enzo queried with Lily on his mind.

Bonnie took a breath, contemplating her response. "Mass killings, torturing human victims for fun, serial murders that aren't just for survival. I guess a lot of it is the same as whatever makes a human killer particularly evil."

"Stefan was a ripper, how come he wasn't hunted?" Damon asked.

"He probably was, but unsuccessfully. Not every hunter gets their target. And there weren't always as many hunters or huntresses as there are now, the numbers are growing. And, maybe once Stefan got his urges under control he fell under the radar," she informed him.

"Is that possible?" Enzo asked. "For a vampire to redeem themselves and no longer be targeted?" he continued thinking about the possibility of Lily no longer being hunted.

"I can't say for sure, but I think it might be possible…. Damon's still here and he's acted like an evil son of a bitch at times!" Bonnie taunted.

Enzo chuckled and Damon smirked.

"True, but I was never the Ted Bundy of vampires," he responded with reference to the notorious serial killer.

"Guess not…you found your chill…Elena must have had some kind of positive influence on you," Bonnie said.

Damon's expression became completely serious. Enzo and Bonnie looked at each other as the silence became awkward.

"So why'd you invite me to stay here?" Bonnie asked breaking the silence.

"Don't think Elena…or Stefan would ever forgive me if I left you and little Gilbert alone in a house and you killed him accidently-on-purpose cause he pissed you off," Damon returned to his morbidly sarcastic self.

Bonnie smiled at the quip. "Seriously, why? You and I have never been the best of friends."

"Why not. I'm guessing Rudy's out of town as usual," he began, referring to Bonnie's workaholic dad Rudy Hopkins. "And you probably have some bridges to build with Caroline before she's ready for a girly sleepover with you. Plus this place has plenty of room…maybe we could do with some female energy…"

Enzo had a feeling that Damon's invitation had more to do with Bonnie being one of Elena's friends than anything else. Bonnie could probably give Damon a sense of feeling connected to Elena since she wasn't there anymore.

Of course, Enzo had no objection to Bonnie's female energy in the Salvatore Boarding House even if his interest in her was irrational considering the huntress/vampire issue.

"Well I didn't tell my dad I was coming, so I don't know where he is right now. And I think you're right about Caroline. I don't know how she'll react to seeing me after I stayed away for 5 years without even one phone call." Bonnie chuckled softly to herself. "For a minute I thought you were gonna say you were letting me stay here out of the goodness of your heart."

"You know me better than that Bon," Damon responded with a wink.

She couldn't help smiling to herself, was she willing to admit to herself that a part of her had missed their banter? _Maybe a little_ , she thought as she turned to speak to Enzo. "So, my mom?"

Damon intercepted before Enzo could answer and things got heavy. "I'm gonna leave you and Bonnie the vampire slayer to it," he said, getting up to leave the room, taking his glass of bourbon with him.

Enzo and Bonnie watched him leave. As she turned back to Enzo, she found that he was already looking at her again. Now that they were alone the sexual tension was back. Feeling a little uncomfortable Bonnie turned away before speaking.

"What's up with him?" she asked Enzo on a lighter note. "He's like…all considerate and everything now."

"Yeah, I know," he began with a nod. "Since Elena left he's gone a little...sensitive I guess."

"Why?" she asked perplexed.

"You'll have to ask him," Enzo replied.

"It doesn't make any sense. It's not like she's here to call him out on his shit anymore," Bonnie rationalized.

Enzo shrugged and shook his head in response.

"It's like he's possessed or something…" Bonnie continued.

"By what…the spirit of Stefan's conscience," Enzo joked.

"If that spirit is a sarcastic alcoholic!" Bonnie added.

They both smiled and the little joke put Bonnie at ease.

"So, about your mother…" Enzo began.

Bonnie's smile faded as she braced herself for a very difficult conversation.

#

Why Enzo felt like he could trust Bonnie Bennett he had no idea. He didn't know her. Maybe it was because from what he'd gathered over the last few hours she seemed to be a complicated and compassionate person. Although she hadn't stated it explicitly it was clear to him that she'd left Mystic Falls to avoid killing her vampire friends. It was also clear that she was willing to do a lot to get answers about her mother, and he could relate to that.

Lily was already a hunted woman. Enzo couldn't change that and he wasn't overly worried about the male hunter getting to her because many had already failed. But, if he could get a female huntress on side that could change things.

"First things first – I need to know exactly who you are and how you know my mom," Bonnie told him.

"My full name is Enzo St. John. About a year ago I was brought in to the Armory," Enzo informed Bonnie.

"Should I know what that is?" she asked.

"Not really. It's an organization that collects supernatural artifacts. They've kept themselves under the radar for over a century to try and make sure those artifacts don't get into the wrong hands. I found out that my father was one of the founders of the Armory and decided to work for them in return for information about my family," he explained.

"You don't know your family?" Bonnie queried.

"No," she looked at him expectantly but he wasn't ready to elaborate right now. "It's a long story. Anyway, when I saw you I thought you looked familiar, but it was because you looked a lot like someone else. And, when Damon said your name I realized that Abby Bennett is your mother."

"So where is she," Bonnie said impatiently.

"She's at the Armory."

"What do you mean?"

"She's being held in a cell at the Armory," Enzo told her.

"She's a prisoner?" Bonnie said confused.

"More like a…subject."

"What?!"

Enzo could sense that Bonnie was beginning to get anxious and agitated.

"What are you trying to tell me? That they're… studying my mom?"

He could see that she was so tense it was as if she was about to snap at any moment.

"I'm not exactly sure what they're doing with her… but the Armory has a tendency to carry out…experiments," he said reluctantly.

Bonnie opened her mouth as if she was about to say something but she was momentarily speechless. She let out a big sigh then closed her eyes for a few seconds and stood up, walking over to the fireplace. She put one hand on the ledge as if she would fall if she didn't hold onto something.

"How long has she been there?" Bonnie questioned not looking at him.

"About 5 or 6 years," Enzo answered waiting for an explosive reaction.

"WHAT!" Bonnie yelled. She turned to look at him and he could see the pain and anger in her eyes. "You work for those people, how the hell do you not know what they're doing to her?!"

"The Armory might be my family legacy but they don't genuinely trust me and I definitely don't trust them," he said.

"Then why are you still involved with them?!"

"You know that saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer…"

Her silence indicated that she understood.

"I gotta get her out of there," Bonnie said with determination.

"You can't just go in there guns blazing," Enzo advised her.

"So what, I just leave her in there to be tortured and messed around with like she's some supernatural science project!"

"She's not being tortured, Bonnie."

"You don't class being trapped in a cell and experimented on for 6 years as torture!" she shot at him with venom.

She was right and he'd had first-hand experience of being experimented on in a cell.

"You're 100% right," he told her, "we can't pretend it's not torture, but the Armory has security measures in place. You need to be able to get in, and out, of that place safely. You going in there is more risky than you realize."

"Why?" she asked.

"Your mum wasn't the only huntress held at the Armory. There were two others, but they died."

"How?"

"I don't know."

Bonnie rolled her eyes at his lack of information yet again.

"Look, to my knowledge the Armory doesn't actively try to capture huntresses, but there's a good chance that if they know what you are and they know you're in there, you're not getting out," he said gravely.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Bonnie felt like she was floating. As she got closer to the building she realized it was the Lockwood mansion. Like a ghost she somehow floated through the wall and into a room where 4 women and 3 men sat talking. She instinctively knew that they were all Heretics. She recognized Lily Salvatore, and a few nameless faces from her previous dreams about them. Their lips were moving but Bonnie struggled to hear them or make out their words. She knew that she was invisible to them and as she got closer she could see and sense that the 7 Heretics in that room were afraid, despite their physical and magical strength. She thought she heard them say a name – Tina…? Trina...?_

 _Bonnie felt as if her feet had landed on the ground as she continued to try and figure out what they were saying. Out of nowhere she felt a hand slide down her arm from behind, which made her jump. As she turned around she saw that it was Enzo St. John. Confused, she quickly turned back towards the Heretics to see if she had become visible to them, but they were still unaware of her presence. She turned back to face Enzo. He put a finger to his lips and made a "shhh" sound. Bonnie felt frozen in place as he lifted a hand to stroke her face, moving in to kiss her. Before his mouth could reach hers the sudden sound of an explosion broke her out of her trance, and out of her dream._

 _#_

Enzo stood in the kitchen of the Salvatore Boarding House making coffee. Aside from bags of blood and the never ending source of Bourbon that Damon kept at the Boarding House, coffee was the other beverage that was always in supply since Enzo had moved there. He could probably add Cherry Cola to that list now that Bonnie was staying there too, since she seemed to drink as much of the stuff as Damon drank Bourbon. _Stop thinking about her_ , he told himself. Directing his thoughts away from the beautiful green eyed, purple haired Huntress, Enzo considered that the Armory would probably find Damon to be an interesting subject if they ever decided to study alcoholism in vampires. Maybe the alcohol was contributing to turning him soft since he'd been drinking non-stop since Elena left. And while Damon still obsessed over Elena, Enzo was starting to obsess over Bonnie.

Bonnie had been on his mind all night and the fact that she'd slept in a room just across the hall from his room did not help. He couldn't resist using his vamp hearing to zone in on her from his bedroom. The sound of her sobbing quietly to herself in the shower the night before hit him right in the gut. She put on such a strong front but Bonnie was in turmoil over the news about her mother being one of the Armory's projects and he felt like an asshole for listening in on her with less than innocent thoughts when she was so vulnerable. Of course that didn't stop him from hearing her tossing and turning half the night, and then the soft sound of her breathing when she finally fell asleep. He also heard when she woke up, presumably from some disturbing dream, at 5:30am and changed her clothes to go out for a morning run. She was turning him into some supernatural stalker. Not a good look. He needed to get it into his head that she was a Huntress and he was a vampire - natural enemies - instead of picturing her naked in the shower while he used his supernatural abilities to basically spy on her. _Easier said than done_ , he thought when Bonnie walked into the kitchen.

He tried his hardest not to look at her but temptation got the better of him. She wore black leggings and a black tank top with white sneakers. The tight sportswear did not help his situation, showing off the perfection of her curves and making him feel like a teenage boy in heat. Her hair was up in a messy bun and some of her violet coloured curls fell free, framing her face. Her skin was sweaty from the run, but it looked more like she was glowing.

"What?" Bonnie asked Enzo looking at him suspiciously.

"Nothing," he replied, turning away to try and focus on making his coffee.

She walked past him to grab a glass, then back past him again to get some water from the tap. She drank half the glass in one go. Despite the fact that she was sweaty he could still smell her warm vanilla scent.

"Rough night?" he asked her pouring himself a cup of coffee and turning to lean with his back against the kitchen counter.

"Why do you ask?" she responded taking another drink of water and walking to the central island in the kitchen where she stood opposite him mirroring his stance.

"You were up and out pretty early for your run considering you had such a late night," he told her before sipping his coffee.

"How do you know what time I was up and what I was doing? Were you spying on me?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

 _Damn it!_ Enzo thought to himself biting his bottom lip. _Now she thinks I'm some weirdo_ _stalker_. "The walls aren't exactly thick here. I heard you leave and saw you from my window," he said looking at her as innocently as possible.

She looked at the clock on the microwave. It was 7:30am. Her expression softened. "Got a lot on my mind."

"Well, obviously," Enzo replied with a slight smirk and a little sarcasm.

Bonnie gave him a slight smile before looking away. "I dreamt about the Heretics last night," she informed him.

"Really, what happened...?"

#

Bonnie knew she shouldn't be telling him about her dream. Huntresses were supposed to work alone (a rule she'd already broken by teaming up with Jeremy). They were supposed to try and keep their identity a secret. Well, as much as you could keep something like that a secret when you had a life, a family, friends. Another reason she'd kept away from Mystic Falls. Logically she shouldn't trust Enzo St. John. He was a vampire, a stranger, a friend of a Heretic and involved with the Armory. One of those issues alone was enough reason not to trust him. But, the one thing a Huntress could trust 100%, more if it was possible, were her instincts, and her instincts told her that she could trust him with her life. It would be so messed up if she ended up having to kill him. For now though she'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Does the name Tina or Trina mean anything to you?" Bonnie asked Enzo trying to avoid thinking about the part of the dream where he'd almost kissed her. _And_ trying to avoid thinking about how good his biceps looked in his t-shirt... The way the material was tight enough to show the width of his chest, but not so tight it made him look like he was showing off… The way his deep brown gaze focused on her as if he could see her thoughts… It seriously pissed her off that he was able to distract her this way. It pissed her off even more that he'd found his way into her dreams. It was rare for Bonnie to dream about anything other than Huntress related issues and occasionally her Mom, so _this_ was a big deal.

He took another sip of his drink. "Tina...Trina..." Enzo said, mulling it over and shaking his head. "Don't think so."

"Ok," Bonnie responded. She looked down in thought.

"Anything else?" he asked looking at her expectantly.

She looked up slowly to meet his gaze. "They're scared," she told him. "The Heretics are scared."

"Well with you, the Hunters and the Armory after them they should be," he commented.

"What does the Armory want with the Heretics?" she asked him.

Enzo realised his mistake. He hadn't meant to let her know that the Heretics were on the Armory's acquisition list. This automatic trust thing that he had going on with Bonnie was getting to be a real pain in his ass. He hadn't even told Lily that he was involved with the Armory yet and she was the closest to a mother-figure to him as anyone was ever going to get.

Enzo looked away for a moment contemplating how much to reveal.

"Don't tell me? More experiments," Bonnie said with a snigger.

"Probably," he responded. There was no point in trying to deny it.

"Why are they here? Do they know the Armory wants them?" Bonnie inquired.

"They know someone other than a Hunter or Huntress is after them. They never stay anywhere too long. They're basically a moving target," he informed her.

"So you haven't told Lily Salvatore about the Armory?"

"Not yet," he replied.

"Why not?"

"Let's just say that the Armory has very powerful resources. Combine that with being secretive and staying under the radar, you'd never see an attack coming. It's more than enough reason for even the Heretics to be fearful and not counter-attack without a solid plan," he warned her, referring to her desire to rescue her mother ASAP. "Actually the Armory operates like you in many ways."

She picked up on his warning and it annoyed her. "Powerful? Yes. Anonymous? Yes. But I don't treat people like animals – human or supernatural - by experimenting on them. I actually have a moral code," she corrected him. "You still didn't answer my question properly; why haven't you told Lily about the Armory?"

He folded his arms across his chest. _Damn him and his muscles,_ Bonnie thought distracted for a moment.

"I'm still trying to gather information," he responded.

"Like what?" Bonnie said.

He sighed. "Bonnie, I'm in the middle of all of this right now. I need to protect myself too. No one else will."

She felt sorry for him in that moment. Clearly he felt as lonely as she did even though they weren't completely alone. It sucked when all the time the only person you had to take care of you was yourself. Nevertheless, she didn't want to show him any signs of weakness so she gave him a look that said _I know you're trying to be secretive, but if I really want to I can get the information out of you_. And they both knew she could.

They looked at each other for several seconds. A sense of understanding growing between them. The attraction getting stronger. They were a couple of lone wolves. Both with the personality traits of the wolf too – powerful instincts, intelligence, loyalty, courage, a strong desire for freedom.

Before the staring got too intense Damon strolled into the kitchen, pausing when he saw Bonnie and Enzo with their eyes locked on one another.

"Am I interrupting something?" Damon asked looking between Enzo and Bonnie sensing the tension in the room.

"No," they said together turning to look at Damon.

Enzo sipped more of his coffee while Bonnie finished off her water and walked over beside Enzo to put the glass in the sink. Her arm accidently brushed his as she turned around to walk away and they looked at each other for a second aware of the tingling sensation on their skin from such a minor touch.

"I better go call my Dad," Bonnie said walking away from Enzo as quickly as possible, past Damon and out of the kitchen.

Damon watched Bonnie leave and then looked at Enzo with a w _hat the hell is going on?_ look on his face. Enzo just shrugged and went back to finishing his drink.

#

"This is Rudy Hopkins, I can't take your call right now. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you."

Bonnie was partly relieved when her Dad's phone went to voicemail. She needed to see him, but things had been awkward between them ever since Bonnie became a Huntress. It was as if he thought she'd become a different person just because she had a new role to fulfill in life. Anyway, Bonnie decided she'd deal with her Dad after figuring out what to do about her Mom.

She walked back into the kitchen. "Damon...seriously?" she said seeing the bottle of Bourbon in his hand. "It's barely 8am."

His response was to take a huge gulp of the drink while looking directly at her. Bonnie looked at Enzo who shrugged with a _this is what he does_ look on his face. Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"What's the plan for today then?" Damon asked.

Bonnie was about to answer when her phone, which was still in her hand, rang. The two men watched her as she checked the screen.

"It's just Jeremy," she said as she cut off the ringing tone instead of answering the call.

Enzo felt a spark of jealously. He sensed that Jeremy and Bonnie had history. The way they spoke to each other was too familiar. And he'd noticed the way that Jeremy looked at Bonnie during the short period of time he'd observed them together at the Gilbert house. The kid might still have a crush on Bonnie but it looked like any feelings she had were long gone, so Enzo didn't get where his jealousy was coming from.

"You're going in to the Armory today aren't you?" Bonnie asked Enzo, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes. And before you get any ideas don't try and follow me. If they find out who you are-" he began.

"I know. I might but stubborn but I'm not irrational," she assured him.

"I'll see what I can find out about your Mum," he promised.

"And the Heretics too?" she asked.

"As long as you keep to your word and don't target Lily," he said.

"For now," she answered after a pause.

Enzo looked at her annoyed that she was suggesting she'd go back on her word.

"Enzo, that's all I can promise right now. If I'm being led to Lily it's for a reason. I told you, a Huntress will only purposely go after vampires that are extremely out of control," she reasoned sincerely.

His jaw tensed, but he understood even if he didn't like it. "I better get going," he said beginning to leave the room.

"Thanks, Enzo," Bonnie said to him.

He looked at her as he left the room giving her a tense smile.

Damon gave Bonnie a knowing look.

"What?" Bonnie said, waiting for Damon to come off with some suggestive comment about her and Enzo.

He just shrugged.

"So what are you gonna do today Bonnie the vampire slayer?" Damon asked.

"I was gonna see my Dad, but that's a no go. I should try Caroline. Is she at work?"

"Probably. I can call Stefan and find out?" Damon replied.

"Does Stefan work with her?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Oh, they definitely do some kind of work together," Damon said suggestively.

Bonnie's eyebrows knitted together in further confusion.

"You got a lot to catch up on, Bon Bon," Damon told her.

* * *

 **Sorry it has taken me so long to update this fic. I hope you find it's worth continuing, if so I'll try to update more quickly.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Enzo sighed as he pulled up to the huge, grey stone building. He was really starting to resent coming to this place. In all honesty, after working for the Armory for almost a year with no substantial information provided to him about his immediate family he should have given up on the place and moved on. Almost every day he felt like telling his so-called cousin Alex St. John, leader of the organisation, to either tell him what he needed to know or go fuck herself. Actually he had done that on more than one occasion, not in those exact words, but the sly bitch was always able to manipulate him by telling him that no one else knew about his background, so he would find out what he needed to know in good time and that he had to earn her trust.

Alex didn't trust many people and most of the people working for her barely knew what was really going on there. All they knew was that they were well paid (probably not to ask questions), which was suspicious in itself because where was all this money coming from?

Alex was shady, but at present she was Enzo's only link to his family and he wasn't ready to give up on finding out the truth. And, as Enzo had told Bonnie, the Armory had some powerful resourses and a plethora of potentially dangerous information regarding the supernatural world. It was worth being there just to have a heads up on whatever dodgy shit they were up to. That advantage could help him to save Lily.

Once he was in the building Enzo made his way to one of the small libraries to find a computer. Alex had only given him limited access to the Armory's database but thanks to one of the senior IT staff Enzo now had full access. Joshua was ex-millitary, in his 40s and had valuable, in depth IT skills. The guy hated Alex, which was no surprise since she spoke to him like he was a piece of shit. But he was professional, loyal and very good at hiding his disdain for her. As much as Alex showed a lack of respect for Joshua she trusted him professionally. Due to his circumstances he had worked within the Armory for 5 years. He suffered from PTSD and had struggled to find work when he left the army. He had 4 children to provide for and his wife was recovering from cancer.

Joshua struck up a conversation with Enzo one day after witnessing him arguing with Alex over the lack of information about his family. The guy could relate to Enzo since he also didn't know his father and his mother refused to tell him anything.

After months of snooping around the Armory himself Enzo hadn't found anything out about his family and he mentioned to Joshua that even though the Armory was his legacy he had limited access to information. The combination of sympathy and his instincts telling him that he could trust Enzo led to Joshua giving him full access to the database. It seemed like Joshua was also secretly hoping that Enzo would find a way to kick Alex out on her ass and take over the Armory. And why not, it was his legacy too?

#

Enzo began a database search on the Heretics. He met Lily before she became a Heretic so this part of her existence was new to him other than the bits and pieces she'd told him a yesterday. The database didn't provide much more information. The summary stated that the Heretics travelled. They would drain 50-100 victims of their blood in one night then disappear for weeks before turning up in another town, state or country to repeat the process. They targeted private parties, clubs, sports events, even cruise ships; places where there were at least 100 people to feed on, but nothing high profile. Then, they burnt the bodies and the location to make it look like a tragic accident.

They were notoriously difficult to kill due to their combined vampire and witch abilities. Their only known weakness was the blood of a Huntress. It couldn't kill them but it could slow them down and weaken their magic.

Photographs of 5 women and 4 men came up on the screen. Their names were unknown. Enzo recognised Lily and two others. One of the photos of the men had _DECEASED_ written under it.

Enzo heard the door begin to open and quickly closed the database.

"What are you doing in here? I've been looking for you," Alex said to Enzo.

"I was about to see what ridiculousness is up on Youtube since I didn't have anything better to do here today," he replied sarcastically.

"Oh, I can find you _plenty_ to do," she told him authoritatively. "You can start by collecting those haladite daggers from Blacksburg."

Alex's cellphone began to ring.

"Hold on," she told Enzo leaving the room and walking down the hallway to take the call.

Enzo used his vamp hearing to listen in on the conversation.

"Aaron, you have some news about the Heretics?" Alex asked.

"As far as we know they're in Mystic Falls, but we still don't have an exact location," Aaron replied.

"Tell me something I don't already know," Alex told him flatly. "Do the Hunters have any leads?"

"I think they might," he responded.

"And...?" Alex asked impatiently.

 _That woman is so bloody rude_ , Enzo thought to himself.

"Well that's the thing. They haven't been in contact for over a week and they're not responding to our calls," Aaron informed her.

"Ok, that doesn't surprise me, we've always had a complicated relationship with them," Alex said.

 _So, the Hunters and the Armory have been tipping each other off. And now that the Hunters have a Huntress on their side to get to the Heretics they're giving the Armory the cold shoulder._

"Figure out which Hunters are in Mystic Falls and follow them. Don't let them out of your sight. Throw them some bait if you have to, to flush them out," Alex instructed.

 _I have to keep Bonnie away from Jeremy Gilbert,_ Enzo thought to himself.

"Ok," Aaron replied to Alex.

"Keep me updated," she told him before ending the call.

Alex's phone rang again.

"Tricia, what is it now?" Alex answered the call.

"Just an update on your car..." Tricia advised.

Enzo didn't want to waste anymore time, especially if he had to spend the rest of his day travelling, so he quickly logged back onto the database and typed in Abby Bennett's name. The database stated when she was captured, what room she was being held in and detailed the experiments that had been carried out on her. He didn't have time to read it all, but if he knew what cell she was in at the very least he could check on her when Alex was out of the building and let Bonnie know how she was doing.

Enzo heard Alex's footsteps as she approached the room, so he shut the computer down before she entered.

"I'm going to Arizona now so I'll be gone a few days. The guys in the lab are expecting those daggers by this afternoon. While I'm gone you can assist with any other collections and moving artifacts into storage," Alex ordered before turning around and leaving the room.

 _No 'goodbye', no 'please', no 'thank you'. Well fuck you very much!_ Enzo thought to himself. Whatever. He had his own business to take care of. First he would send Bonnie a message. Then, once Alex was out of the building he'd go and find Abby.

#

 **Enzo:** _Do not speak to Jeremy Gilbert and do not under any circumstances meet with him or allow anyone to see you with him. I'll explain later._

Bonnie stared at the message on her cellphone, her forehead creased in confusion.

"What's up Bon Bon?" Damon asked from the driver's seat of his car while Bonnie sat on the passenger side.

"Enzo said I shouldn't have any contact with Jeremy," Bonnie informed him.

"Really? You're not even together and-" Damon began.

"I don't think he means it like that Damon," Bonnie looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"Ok," Damon said grinning at her.

Damon was driving them to the Mystic Grill to meet with Stefan and Caroline. He still hadn't told Bonnie about the development in his brother's relationship with the blonde vampire, and he had asked Stefan not to tell Caroline that Bonnie was coming. So the evening was sure to be full of surprises.

Bonnie thought it would be best to meet on neutral ground since she wasn't sure how Caroline would react to seeing her after 5 years of nothing. As Damon pulled up to the Grill Bonnie felt nervous. Caroline and Elena were the closest people to her besides her Grams. Her cousin Lucy was ok, but with Lucy it was all about Huntress duties. There was no room for fun... or feelings.

Bonnie and Damon got out of the car and made their way into the Grill. It still looked the same. Bonnie spotted Stefan. Caroline had her back turned away from the door. When she noticed Stefan staring towards the door Caroline turned around. She did a double take when she realised who was standing there next to Damon. Shock, anger, concern and confusion were all visible in Caroline's expression. Bonnie felt glued in place until Damon nudged her towards her friend. Well, hopefully still her friend.

Caroline stood up and Stefan followed, as they waited for Bonnie to reach them. The two women stood face to face in silence for several tension filled seconds.

Caroline folded her arms with the look of a mother about to scold her child before saying, "Bonnie...where the hell have you been for the last 5 years?"

The tension in Bonnie's face softened to a weak smile as she replied, "Extremely. Long. Story."

"Ok," Damon interrupted too cheerfully. "Anybody want a drink?"

#

The 3 vampires and the Huntress sat around the table each with a glass of Bourbon in their hand. Bonnie and Caroline sat opposite each other.

"Do you two want us to leave, give you some space?" Stefan asked the girls.

"Not yet," Caroline replied needing his support.

Stefan rubbed Caroline's back affectionately. Bonnie picked up on the gesture.

"You two... you're together?" Bonnie asked surprised.

"Yes. But that's not what we're here to talk about right now," Caroline said with annoyance. "Where were you Bonnie? Why didn't you call?"

"Caroline, I'm so sorry I didn't keep in touch with you and Elena. I had a _really_ good reason. It's why I had to leave..." Bonnie said.

"Trust me, it really is a good reason," Damon piped in.

They all looked at him with _shut up!_ written on their faces. Damon put his hands up as if he was surrendering.

"What happened?" Caroline asked Bonnie.

"I can't go into detail here, but I had to protect all of you," Bonnie told her.

Caroline looked as if she was about to speak but stopped herself not knowing what to say next. She looked Bonnie over for a moment.

"You look different," Caroline observed. "Your hair... it suits you."

" _I'm_ different," Bonnie said, while thinking that Caroline pretty much looked and seemed the same.

"You seem different," Caroline said partly referring to Bonnie's dress sense – less boho casual, more ready for combat, with a matching demeanour. "Could we have helped...if we knew what was going on with you?"

"No. Definitely not. You'd be dead," Bonnie said matter-of-factly.

Caroline's eyes widened in shock.

"She's not kidding," Damon said sipping his Bourbon.

Stefan joined in the conversation. "Were you ok? Was someone with you?" he said concerned.

"Yeah. I had help," Bonnie informed him.

"Ok, this conversation is way too cryptic for me. Bonnie, I'll drive us to my place and we can talk properly. Stefan can go with Damon," Caroline instructed everyone.

 _Typical bossy Caroline_ , Bonnie thought. _I really missed her._

"Ok," everyone agreed before downing their Bourbon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Bonnie and Caroline sat in the living room of Caroline's childhood home. Caroline poured them each a glass of wine before sitting down across from Bonnie.

"Is your Mom ok?" Bonnie asked about Sheriff Forbes.

"She is...now," Caroline responded as a look of concern passed over her face.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie said sipping some of the wine. It had been a long time since she had sat down with a female friend chilling with a bottle of wine. It almost felt strange and overly girly. Well, when you spent so much of your time hunting, fighting and killing, even combing your hair felt overly girly.

"My mom had cancer," Caroline began.

"Oh my god, is she ok!?" Bonnie asked sitting up straight, shocked by the revelation.

"She's fine. All clear now. I convinced her to take some more time off work and do some travelling. So, I gave up my apartment and moved back here while she enjoys life," Caroline told her.

Bonnie shook her head feeling guilty. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."

Caroline took a sip of wine. "Well, you obviously had your own problems. So, lets get to the point," Caroline said, eagerly anticipating Bonnie's explanation.

Bonnie took a deep breath and sat back a little. "I'm a Huntress."

"A what?" Caroline responded.

"You've never heard of a Huntress?" Bonnie said slightly suprised.

Caroline shook her head. " _Hunter_ , yes. _Huntress_ , no."

"Ok. Well think Hunter, but female. Faster. Stronger. Less egotistical," Bonnie said that last sentence with a little humour and Caroline chuckled.

Caroline blinked then looked away. "So you wanted to kill us? Me, Elena, Stefan, Damon..."

" _Especially_ Damon," Bonnie joked and they both laughed. Bonnie's expression became serious. "The urge was so strong. Even before I transitioned I kept on dreaming about killing you all. I knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself. And you guys wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Maybe we could have all worked together-" Caroline began.

"Seriously, Caroline. You would all be dead. I'm as strong as a vampire. I don't have vamp speed, but my reflexes are crazy fast and my senses are heightened. Not to vamp level, but more in an instinctive way. I can usually sense when certain things are about to happen. I'm also immune to magic," Bonnie explained.

"You're human though, right?" Caroline asked.

"Well, I'm not immortal. I need to eat... sleep. I can get hurt, but I recover pretty fast. Instinct is a major part of my survival. That and keeping my Huntress status undercover."

"This is crazy," Caroline said shaking her head in disbelief.

They drank down the wine and took some time to absorb everything. Caroline poured them a second glass

"Where did you go when you first found out?" Caroline asked.

"I went to California and stayed with my cousin, Lucy," Bonnie explained. "She was the only one who could help me since Grams died and my Mom... well that's another drama..."

"What do you mean?"

"You heard of the Armory?" Bonnie asked Caroline not expecting that she would have heard of it.

"That place that Enzo's involved with?" Caroline said partly to herself.

"You know Enzo well?" Bonnie asked surprised.

"We're...aquaintences," Caroline informed her.

Bonnie felt a twinge of jealousy. _Please tell me they haven't dated._

Caroline must have noticed the curious look on Bonnie's face.

"We're just friends," she said. "Not exactly close, but we talk sometimes."

"Oh," Bonnie said relieved. "Um, anyway..." she began, annoyed at herself for feeling jealous especially when they were in the middle of discussing the more important issue of her Mom. "My Mom has been there for the last 5 or 6 years."

"Why?" Caroline inquired.

"Because she's a Huntress too. It's inherited and the Armory like to experiment on supernaturals."

"Oh my God, Bon! Is she ok? Are they after you too?" Caroline said with a worried expression.

"I'm not sure how she is. Enzo's looking into things for me. He says they don't go out of their way to get Huntresses but if they come across one by chance..."

Caroline shook her head in understanding. "Is that why your back here, cause of your Mom?" she asked.

"No. I'm actually here for the Heretics," Bonnie explained.

"Stefan's Mom...?" Caroline said with worry.

"Well, yeah, she's one of 'em," Bonnie replied.

Caroline took a gulp of wine and looked away. Bonnie took a drink too.

"You _have_ to kill her?" Caroline said obviously wishing there was another way for Stefan's sake.

"Probably," Bonnie told her with a nod and a sombre expression. She could tell Caroline's mind was ticking. "Do you know long Lily has been in Mystic Falls?" Bonnie questioned.

"Maybe a week. I'm not sure. Enzo saw her a few days ago, maybe more. He's the one who told Damon she was around," Caroline informed her.

"Have Damon and Stefan seen her," Bonnie asked.

"I don't think so. Damon hates her and... well... I get the impression she's not too enthusiastic about a family reunion."

"How come?"

"I don't know why exactly," Caroline said. "Enzo seems to know more than anyone. How'd you meet Enzo anyway?"

Bonnie raised her eyebrows and took a long sip of wine before going into that story.

#

It was evening before Enzo got the chance to look for Abby. Alex got held up at the Armory just before she was leaving for Arizona so Enzo had to go and collect the haladite daggers from Blacksburg before he could do anything else. At least with Alex now in another state and the building quieter at this time of the day he could do what he needed to do raising less suspicion. Of course, the Armory had surveillance cameras but Abby was in a lower risk section so the surveillance was lower level.

Enzo made his way through the corridors using his unique staff number code to gain access through each doorway. He finally arrived at room 404 not sure what to expect. He didn't know much about the Huntresses that had been brought into the Armory, other than the fact that 2 out of the 3 had died and for whatever reason Abby Bennett was still a live subject.

As Enzo looked through the reinforced glass he was surprised to see that the Huntress occupying the cold, clinical room didn't look half as bad as you would expect for someone who'd been poked and prodded for the last 5 or 6 years.

Abby wore a clean white t-shirt, white trousers and white socks. She was slim, but not emaciated. Her skin looked slightly dull, but you could tell she used to have the same caramel skin tone as Bonnie. Abby was in her forties, but aside from her face looking slightly drawn she didn't look older than her years. It seemed as if the Amory had been doing their best to keep her alive and healthy despite experimenting on her.

Enzo pressed a button on the wall so he could speak to her without entering the room.

"Abby Bennett?" he asked, not quite sure what else to say yet.

Abby was sat on a large hospital type bed reading a book. Enzo was a little surprised that they'd given her something to keep her mind occupied but he guessed they didn't want her to completely lose her mind from the boredom and isolation so it made sense in a weird way.

"What are you reading?" Enzo continued.

Abby looked up at him with a _who the fuck are you and what the fuck do you want?_ look on her face. Her expression softened slightly when she observed Enzo's lack of a lab coat and clipboard, which she was so used to seeing. Plus the fact that he was a new face.

" _The Great Gatsby_ ," Abby informed him.

"Not one I've read yet but I'm told it's worth reading," Enzo responded trying to get her to warm to him.

Abby looked at him blankly then looked back at her book. Enzo was struggling to think of what to say. He looked around Abby's room. There was a toilet, a sink, a shower which was completely open so that the occupant had no privacy whatsoever. There was also an old fashioned treadmill. Abby might as well be a hamster in this room. On the plus side she wasn't restrained.

"Do they bring you books often?" Enzo asked.

Abby looked up from her book again slowly. "What is this?"

"What do you mean?" Enzo asked.

"If you're not here to examine me, inject me with who knows what or take my blood then what the hell do you want?" Abby said coldly.

"I don't want anything. Other than to know that you're as healthy and as sane as you can be under the circumstances," Enzo told her.

"Is this some kind of new experiment?" Abby said still not trusting Enzo's motives.

"No. Do I look like a scientist?" Enzo retorted sarcastically.

Abby narrowed her eyes at him then looked away as she contempleted something. "You're a vampire. What are you here to test my abilities again? Aren't they supposed to put me in the pit and stop giving me sedatives before they do that?"

Enzo knew she was speaking literally about the pit but her first statement was the most intruiging. "How did you know I was a vampire?" he queried.

"You don't know anything about my 'kind' do you? Basic Huntress 101 – instinct is our greatest gift – I can sense it. You're not here to test me. You're not here to hurt me. So what is it?" Abby said getting off the bed and walking towards the glass to stand face to face with Enzo.

"Let's just say you're not destined to spend the rest of your life in this box," Enzo gestured to the room.

Abby's eyes brightened with hope. Enzo looked at her with sympathy and sincerety expressing that he couldn't say too much. Although Abby was under low surveillance at present it wasn't worth the risk of saying too much just yet, not until they figured out how to break her out safely.

"Stay healthy and sane," Enzo said.

"I will," Abby replied, intuitively trusting Enzo and understanding that her prison sentence would soon be over.

Abby watched Enzo walk away as he dissapeared down the corridor to go and do a little more research before returning to the Salvatore Boarding House.

#

"So... you and Stefan," Bonnie said to Caroline.

They'd spent a good hour discussing Bonnie's... _interesting_ introduction to Enzo, her reintroduction to Jeremy, the Heretics and Bonnie's mom. Bonnie was sick of talking about herself and they needed to lighten the mood.

"Me and Stefan..." Caroline said with a secret smile.

"How... when?" Bonnie asked smiling too.

"You know we've been friends since Stefan helped me transition. We got together not long before Elena left, so it's been about a year. Stefan took the break up with Elena really hard, especially when she got together with Damon," Caroline informed Bonnie.

"Not suprising," Bonnie said widening her eyes. "Can't say I'm _that_ suprised she hooked up with Damon, he always wanted her, but... I don't know."

"I know. But Damon and Elena genuinely seemed like they were in love," Caroline said.

"I believe that. It must have been real since he let her go... " Bonnie commented. "Anyway, back to you and Stefan."

"It just happened naturally. He got over Elena and we were spending more time together. I was into him first. I didn't think he'd ever want to be more than friends but he surprised me. I was seeing someone else but we broke up. Once that guy was out of my life Stefan told me that he didn't want to waste anymore time being friends when we could be more because we were already so close," Caroline said nostalgically.

Bonnie smiled. She was happy for her friend. But she was also sad that she herself struggled to find real love. Being a Huntress made relationships of any kind hard. Enzo's face came to mind when she thought about a relationship. She needed to divert her thoughts.

"Stefan's a good guy, Care. I'm really happy for both of you," Bonnie told her friend.

Caroline smiled a little shyly as she tried to conceal just how ecstatic she was about her relationship.

"So what are you doing now? Work-wise I mean," Bonnie asked before Caroline could quiz her about her love life.

"I'm an Assistant Producer for the local radio station. Well, it's not so local now. It's under new ownership so it's picking up listeners all over the country. I also co-present a 2 hour show on Sunday evenings," Caroline revealed.

"That's great, Care. What's your show about?" Bonnie enquired.

"It's basically a talk radio show where we discuss a different issue each week, listeners call in with problems relating to that issue and we advise them along with a guest speaker."

Bonnie smiled. _Caroline Forbes advising people, she must be in heaven._

"That sounds like you," Bonnie stated.

Caroline smiled shaking her head. "So what else did you do in California? I hope your life didn't revolve around being a Huntress."

"Well it did. But, I got my degree in Sociology and I was mentoring victims of domestic abuse," Bonnie told her.

"I'm glad you got to go to college do something that didn't involve hunting vampires. I'm not surprised you were a mentor, you were always helping everyone here," Caroline said.

Bonnie smiled and appreciated the recognition of her supportive nature. "Yeah, well, my inheritance from Grams helps. My Dad paid for college too. I'm not a millionaire but at least I don't have to worry about being broke since most of my time is occupied by Huntress duties, leaves me little time to earn a living."

"Have you spoken to your Dad yet?" Caroline asked.

"Not yet. I called but it went to voicemail," Bonnie explained.

"Have you thought about calling Elena?"

"Not until all this is over. I have enough on my plate and I'm sure she doesn't need the drama right now," Bonnie said.

"True," Caroline agreed. "You know, with your Sociology degree and mentoring experience you'd be perfect for my show."

It sounded appealing but... "Maybe when this is over, and I'd need to use a pseudonym," Bonnie offered.

"Well, if you can't be on the show you can at least come to an event the radio station is hosting on Saturday," Caroline insisted.

"Oh yeah, what's happening?"

"It's the stations third anniversary under new ownership so we're putting on a huge party in the park. There's gonna be a big stage, live bands, a bar, food..." Caroline told Bonnie.

"Umm...ok," Bonnie replied deciding that she needed to try and have some fun fir a change.

"And, you can stay here now, instead of at the Boarding House," Caroline asserted.

Ok, good old bossy Caroline was getting a little too much for the new much more assertive Huntress Bonnie.

"I appreciate the offer, Caroline but you and Stefan need your privacy and you're not gonna get that if I'm here," Bonnie began.

"Stefan doesn't live here," Caroline interrupted.

"I know, but I'm cool at the Boarding House and with how Enzo's helping it's better if we're closer and staying in the same place," Bonnie said decisively.

Closer probably wasn't better where Bonnie and Enzo were concerned if someone didn't want to end up losing her panties, but as much as Bonnie liked the idea of staying with Caroline a part of her was worried that she was already getting too nostalgic being back in Mystic Falls. Bonnie's life was different now, _she_ was different. She liked having her own space. She _needed_ it to function and process everything that came with being a Huntress. Caroline was a good friend but she could be full on and Bonnie would actually feel freer at the Boarding House.

"Ok. Whatever is best for you," Caroline said a little dissapointed but understanding how Bonnie had changed and that she needed her own space.

"So what else happened while I was gone?" Bonnie asked Caroline.

She thought she might as well indulge in some light-hearted gossip for now, because it was bound to be another rough night once she and Enzo got talking about whatever he was able to find out while he was at the Armory.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was just after 9:00pm when Bonnie and Caroline arrived back at the Salvatore Boarding House. Enzo and Stefan were waiting for them in the living room. That disconcerting spark of attraction hit both Bonnie and Enzo when they made eye contact as the girls entered the room, but they tried to ignore it. They had more important matters to discuss.

Caroline sat next to Stefan who put his arm around her and asked her if she was ok. Bonnie sat opposite Enzo nearer to the fire. She looked at him expectantly, silently waiting for any news on her mother.

Enzo looked at Bonnie reassuringly. "She's ok," he told her.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked not 100% convinced.

"Under the circumstances. Yes. They seem to be taking care of her in their own way. They want to keep her alive," he assured her.

Some of the tension left Bonnie's body and Enzo felt relieved for her.

"Any idea how we can get her out of there safely?" Bonnie queried.

"Not yet," he answered.

Bonnie let out a sigh of frustration.

"Can't we just kick some ass and vamp speed her out of there?" Caroline suggested.

"It's not that easy. Abby's under low level surveillance right now, but the Armory microchips its... subjects. As soon as she leaves an authorised area they're alerted and they can track her. Plus the place is a bloody maze and has other security measures in place," he advised.

"So we can't sneak her out of there and we can't just bust her out of there? What are our other options?" Stefan said.

All this _we_ business was alien to Bonnie's ears since she'd always worked alone in the past. But where her mother was concerned she wasn't complaining.

"We should probably just blow the place up," Bonnie said partly joking. All those dreams about explosions were messing with her head.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked considering that it could be a real option.

"I don't think she's serious Stefan," Caroline said looking at him as if he'd lost the plot.

"Actually, it could work. I'm not saying we blow up the whole building, just do enough damage to create a diversion and get Abby out of there," Stefan elaborated.

"And what if Abby gets hurt in the process or we can't get to her in time?" Caroline asked him.

"Hold on a minute," Enzo intercepted. "You're willing to injure a hundred or so Armory employees to rescue one woman?"

"That _one_ woman is my _mother_ , _Enzo_ ," Bonnie said sternly.

"I'm not arguing against the idea. I'm just shocked that Stefan's willing to let innocent people get hurt," Enzo explained.

"I'm sure Stefan _wouldn't_ do it in a way where innocent people would get seriously hurt and neither would I. But considering what goes on in that place their innocence is questionable," Bonnie emphasized.

Enzo looked at Bonnie with an expression that said she had a point.

"Enzo, would you really be on board with something like this? I mean the Armory is to do with your family right?" Caroline asked.

"Family..." Enzo sniggered, thinking about what he had to show for being reconnected with his 'family' over the last several months.

Half the time he felt like blowing the place up himself out of frustration. An explosion at the Armory could help to deter them from their hunt for Lily. At least temporarily. _Better yet just incinerate the lot, then they definitely can't get to Lily_ , he thought. Bonnie would never forgive him if Abby got hurt. And, although he didn't understand why, especially after knowing her for barely 24 hours, he didn't want to hurt Bonnie. It was a major conflict for him where Lily was concerned because he didn't want Bonnie to get to her either, yet he was providing her with information that would put Lily in danger if Bonnie was bullshitting him about backing off.

With regard to the Armory being his legacy and finding out about his past he'd gotten nothing so far. What did he have to lose if they did decided to blow it up?

"If it's the only way..." Enzo said coolly with a shrug.

"Well, if it is the only way we're gonna need to look into it properly and come up with a solid plan," Bonnie told everyone wearily.

"Agreed," Caroline said in support of her friend.

"What else did you find out about my Mom, Enzo?" Bonnie questioned.

"She was captured during a hunt. She was after the same deviant vampire as the Armory and by chance they got her," he informed her.

"How? She should have been able to fight back, escape..." Bonnie said with disbelief.

"The same way that they caught the other Huntresses. Fire enough tranquilizers at them to take down a few dozen horses while they're busy trying to kill their vampire target," Enzo clarified.

"So what, the Armory just walks around with a shit load of tranquilizers everywhere they go?" Stefan asked.

"I don't think so. But my theory is that they've come across a Huntress at least once before while tracking a vampire and decided to be prepared to try and capture a Huntress in the future to satisfy their curiosity," he said.

"I thought the Armory didn't pursue Huntresses," Caroline interjected.

"Not as a rule, but they wouldn't want to miss out on an opportunity if it presented itself. So now they probably do carry human tranquilizers during vampire hunts, just in case," Enzo told her. "Speaking of opportunists, that's why you need to stay away from Jeremy Gilbert, Bonnie."

"What do you mean?"

"The Armory and the Hunters have been tipping each other off," he informed her.

"Why am I not surprised?" Bonnie scoffed.

"Has he tried to call you again today?" Enzo asked with that hint of jealousy he just couldn't seem to shake when he thought of Bonnie and Jeremy having anything to do with each other.

"Yeah. But I ignored him," Bonnie assured him. "Did you find out how the other Huntresses died?"

"The first one they captured before your Mum. She died from an overdose of tranquilizers. Looks like they couldn't figure out how much to use to knock her out and keep her unconscious."

Bonnie shook her head disturbed by the loss of a woman killed fulfilling her duty. "Drugs work differently on us. We need much higher doses for them to take effect." Bonnie revealed. "What happened to the other one?"

"They captured her a few weeks ago. She killed one of the Heretics and was bitten by another. The Armory figured out that a Huntresses blood weakens Heretics," Enzo informed her.

"They only just figured this out?" Bonnie asked Enzo surprised, as she didn't know that her blood could have that affect on Heretics.

"Looks that way," he told her. "But they pushed their luck thinking they could take as much blood from her as they wanted and her body would recover quickly. Combine that with high doses of sedatives and tranquilizers and you end up with organ failure."

"Aren't they scientists? Wouldn't they know that it would kill her?" Caroline asked.

"Sounds like they didn't care," Bonnie said. "All they cared about was what they could do with that blood."

"Maybe not. A Huntress is a valuable resource. The two deaths were accidents due to their lack of knowledge. After the first one they were more careful with Abby, but they got overzealous with the last Huntress. They definitely want to keep Abby alive," Enzo told Bonnie.

"But they still experimented on her right?" Bonnie asked Enzo.

He nodded regretfully.

"What did they do?" Bonnie continued.

"Bonnie... you don't need to know this..." Caroline said to her.

"Enzo...?" she said ignoring Caroline and wanting some answers.

He paused for a long time, looking away. When he turned back to her he could see the anger and sadness in her eyes and he wanted to comfort her.

"They did a lot of blood tests. Injected her blood into vampires, injected their blood into her... They tested her fighting abilities... how strong her immune system is... her healing abilities..." Enzo revealed.

"They injured her on purpose?" Bonnie questioned.

"Yes," Enzo said nodding.

Bonnie felt like she literally wanted to blow the doors off the place, get Abby, then nuke the building and everyone inside it right now. _Why not?_ She thought to herself. Because the role of a Huntress wasn't to go rogue and take out just anyone to achieve her goal. She was supposed to focus on specific targets. But, if there had to be some minor collateral damage for her to rescue her Mom then so be it.

Bonnie looked at Caroline, who was staring at her as if she wanted to give her a big hug to comfort her, but was unsure how her friend would react as she now had a tougher exterior than her 18 year old self. Stefan looked at Bonnie with concern while Enzo watched her with sympathy, but at the same time it was as if he was willing her to stay focused and stay strong. There was a long silence as she tried to process what Enzo had told her.

"What else did you find out about the Heretics?" Bonnie asked changing the subject.

She wouldn't allow herself to break down in front of anybody. But after 5 years of being her on her own when it came to emotional support, having people around her who cared about how she felt again was a massive relief. For now though, instead of dwelling on that thought and getting all emotional, Bonnie focused on the sound of Enzo's voice as he shared what he knew about her current targets.

 _#_

 _She felt_ _sand_ _beneath her feet. Bonnie looked around and saw that she was on a beach. She loved the beach. The feel of the sand, the sound of the waves... She walked along until a private beach house came into view. Lights illuminated the building and she could just about hear the muffled sound of music._

 _As she got closer Bonnie saw that there was a beach party outside the house. People were dancing, eating, drinking and enjoying themselves._

 _Suddenly some of the party-goers began running away from the beach house and more began to follow. But they only got so far before they_ _were stopped in their tracks by an invisible force. They tried to run in other directions but they were trapped inside_ _an invisible prison._

 _Bonnie sensed their fear as people began to fall to the ground. The Heretics were here._

 _Bonnie wanted to help them_ _but she couldn't move. This night had already happened._

 _All she could do was watch as the Heretics rapidly_ _tore through the throats of their victims staining the sand with blood._

 _One of the Heretics, a man she hadn't seen before, fell to the ground and turned grey. He'd been staked. Bonnie looked around for his assassin but they were nowhere to be seen. Another of the Heretics was impaled with a stake but it missed her_ _heart by inches as she_ _ran. Chaos and panic filled the atmosphere from both the Heretics and their victims._

 _Bonnie looked up at the third floor balcony of the beach house and saw a woman with short red hair. She was a Huntress._

 _One of the Heretics, a very young looking dark-haired woman that Bonnie hadn't seen before,_ _saw the Huntress and although she couldn't hear her Bonnie knew that she was chanting. Within seconds she appeared next to the Huntress. The Heretic had performed a teleportation incantation._

 _In the blink of an eye Bonnie was up on the roof watching from above as the_ _Huntress sensed the Heretic's presence quickly enough to maneuver her to the ground face down, holding the stake gun across the back of her neck_ _to restrain her head while she straddled her back. The Heretic bit into the Huntresses hand with her fangs. The Huntress pulled a kukri machete from a strap at her leg, but before she could use it she collapsed over the Heretic._

 _Bonnie looked back down onto the beach, drifting down onto the sand as wooden stakes and vervain tranquilizer darts flew through the air towards the Heretics. They were running and eventually they all disappeared using teleportation incantations. Where_ _were their attackers?_

 _Bonnie turned around and found herself now outside of the Lockwood Mansion. She took a step forward and in a split second she was inside the building as if she had used vamp speed. She watched 7 of the Heretics in the dining room, and again it was if she was watching a silent movie, until she heard the words "get Terina"._

 _Bonnie felt a hand slide into hers. She knew who it was. She turned her head sideways to look at Enzo watching her intently._ _He_ _pulled her towards the stairs and led her up them. Before she knew it they were in one of the bathrooms._

 _Enzo_ _turned on the shower, still watching Bonnie. He_ _pulled her into the cubicle with him, both fully clothed. Bonnie looked down and found that they were now both in their underwear as the water from the shower rained down on them._

 _The water flowing down into the_ _drain began to turn red with blood. Bonnie realized that the blood was hers. She had little cuts along the length of her legs. Before her eyes they healed and the water was clear again. She looked up at Enzo. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him so that they were chest to chest and her belly was pressed up against his. He used his free hand to cup the back of Bonnie's head then leaned down to kiss her. It felt so real... she could taste him and feel the vibrations_ _from the contact between their skin. He teased her lips with his and she brought her hands up around his back to hold on tightly._

 _The vibrations got stronger and she felt them move upwards from her feet throughout her body. As they got even more powerful_ _Bonnie realized something wasn't right. The shower cubicle began to shake. She pulled away from Enzo's kiss. He looked at her mouth and brushed her lips with his thumb. Bonnie looked around the bathroom as the whole room began to shake so much that she felt as if she was going to fall. She held onto Enzo even more tightly before the sound of a massive explosion rang in her ears. And once more, the sound brought her out of her dream._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

After such an intense dream Bonnie couldn't get back to sleep. The idea of an extra early morning run was unappealing so she decided to take a leaf out of Damon's book and self-medicate with a glass of bourbon instead.

Bonnie pulled on a pair of sweatpants before leaving the bedroom. Things could get awkward if one of the male occupants of the Boarding House happened to be lurking around in the middle of the night and saw her in her usual sleep attire of just a tank top and her panties.

As Bonnie made her way down the stairs she heard the sound of a guitar. _Since when did Damon play the guitar?_ She wondered. _No. It's Enzo,_ she guessed. She wasn't too enthusiastic about coming face to face with him just yet after _that_ dream, but he was like some guitar playing version of the Pied Piper luring her in. She couldn't resist continuing down the stairs towards the living room.

Standing just outside of the room and out of sight Bonnie listened as Enzo played notes that sounded familiar, stopping and starting as if he was trying to figure out the melody of a particular song. Bonnie listened for a few minutes as the melody came together and it became apparent that Enzo was playing a slowed down, acoustic finger-style version of Sia's, 'Chandelier'.

 _I better go inside the room before he thinks I'm stalking him,_ Bonnie thought, since he could probably hear her anyway with his vamp hearing.

"Is this a tribute to Damon?" she said, referring to the song's theme of alcoholism as she entered the room.

Enzo looked up at her and smiled as he continued to play. _Him and those goddamn muscles!_ Bonnie thought, watching the way they moved as he played the instrument. He was wearing jeans, and a t-shirt which showed the masculine sprinkling of dark hair on his strong forearms. She noticed that he had nice hands. Clean with long fingers, which plucked and strummed at the guitar strings with expert skill... She didn't feel thirsty for bourbon anymore.

Bonnie sat down, slouching on the sofa opposite Enzo in their usual seats near the fireplace. Enzo finished playing and focused his gaze on Bonnie.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked her.

She shook her head in response.

"How do you know Damon?" she asked, leading the conversation before it became about all the drama surrounding her Mom and the Heretics.

Enzo leaned back on the sofa matching Bonnie's posture.

"Long story, love," he began.

 _Love._ She'd never been referred to as that before. She didn't hate it.

"We were both captured and experimented on by the Augustine Society," he continued. "They captured me in the 1940s and Damon in the 1950s."

"Another version of the Armory," Bonnie commented sarcastically.

"In a way, yes," Enzo told her. "Except they tortured us as well."

Bonnie's expression became deadly serious as she listened intently. Now she understood why he was willing to help her rescue Abby – he knew exactly how it felt to be a prisoner/test subject.

"How long were you there?" she questioned.

"70 years, give or take," Enzo informed her matter-of-factly.

Bonnie's eyes widened with shock. She didn't know what to say.

"Damon was there for 5 years. We became friends and we had a plan to escape. Damon managed to follow through with it, but a fire started. Instead of helping me to get out he chose to turn off his humanity and leave me to burn to death," he said as if it was nothing more than old news.

"And you're still friends?" Bonnie said shocked.

"Well," Enzo said snickering. "When I came to Mystic Falls I planned on getting revenge... But... shit happens and... yeah, we're friends now."

"Wow," Bonnie said, still wide eyed and thinking that Enzo must have a screw loose.

 _He stays friends with a guy who left him to die and is determined to save a woman who murders hundreds of people on a regular basis. Must have a big heart... but crazy. And I still can't help being attracted to him! Stop thinking about him in that way!_

"How'd you get involved with the Armory?" Bonnie queried, putting her legs up on the sofa to get more comfortable.

Enzo folded his arms across his chest and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing his ankles.

"Do you know Matt Donovan?" he asked Bonnie.

"Yeah. He's a good friend. Well, was," Bonnie answered.

"Between him and Tyler Lockwood, who I'm assuming you also know if you used to run in the same circles, they had me kidnapped by the Armory."

"What?! Why?"

"Let's just say I did some things to piss Matt off and he'd had enough."

"Wouldn't take much, he's never been the biggest fan of vampires. What's Tyler have to do with it?"

"He works for the Armory?"

"Really?" Bonnie said surprised.

"Yeah. Their plan backfired though since the Armory was _allegedly_ founded by my family," Enzo told her cynically.

" _Allegedly?_ " Bonnie queried.

"Well, so far I'm none the wiser to anything to do with my family other than my father being one of the founders and me being a St. John."

Bonnie could sense how deep Enzo's frustration was.

"So there's really no other source of information about your family?"

"Not that I know of," Enzo replied shaking his head.

Bonnie realized the impact that destroying part of the Armory could have on Enzo if that was what they needed to do to get to Abby. The place could still hold information that was valuable to him. She would definitely take that into consideration while coming up with a strategic plan.

The man was strong, she'd give him that. Abandoned by his family, decades of torture, betrayed by his friend... and still going strong. He was a survivor, and she couldn't help admiring him a little.

Bonnie didn't realize that Enzo was staring at her until she came out of her thoughts and looked up at him. She sensed that he felt their connection as much as she did. How else could she explain dreaming about a man she'd only just met 2 nights in a row? It was really starting to make her feel uneasy. She didn't remember feeling _this_ attracted to guys she'd dated in the past.

"How'd you meet Lily?" Bonnie asked to break the tension.

Enzo blinked as if he was coming out of a trance. "I was travelling to New York from England in the early 1900s. I was sick and at deaths door. Lily took pity on me and turned me into a vampire. She wasn't a Heretic then. When we got to New York she helped me through the transition. I travelled with her, Julian and Valerie."

"Other Heretics?"

"Yeah. They weren't Heretics then either. Julian was Lily's... lover."

Bonnie couldn't help blushing slightly when Enzo said the word 'lover'.

"Valerie is Julian's niece," Enzo continued. "She was a witch siphon who was rejected by her coven. Julian took her away and took care of her."

"How'd he and Lily end up together?" Bonnie asked.

"Damon and Stefan's father, Giuseppe, was abusive towards Lily. Julian was Giuseppe's friend, but he always had a soft spot for Lily. One night Giuseppe beat Lily to death. Julian 'turned' her just in time and she went away with him and Valerie."

"She left her kids?" Bonnie asked, not understanding how a mother could voluntarily abandon her children.

"Giuseppe treated the boys ok. He was strict. Julian wanted to kill Giuseppe but Lily convinced him not to. She wanted Stefan and Damon to have a normal life and she thought they'd have that with a strict father rather than with 2 vampires and a siphon."

She had a point Bonnie guessed.

"Lily lived in this house right?" Bonnie questioned. "Would she come back here?" She should have asked that question earlier.

"If you're asking if you're safe here, then yes. Lily hates this house and Mystic Falls. She always said it reminded her of how horrible her life was with Giuseppe. This house is probably the safest place you could be in Mystic Falls. Lily would never come back here."

Bonnie wasn't invincible and until she knew exactly how she was going to kill the Heretics she needed to stay away from _all_ of them.

"She must be here for a reason though?" Bonnie commented.

Enzo nodded but didn't elaborate, so she'd leave that issue alone for now.

"How long were you with Lily?" she asked instead.

"We travelled for a few months. Julian never liked me. Valerie was ok and Lily was like a mother to me. Julian didn't like it, he thought Lily paid to much attention to me. He turned Valerie against me and Lily was in the middle of things... so I left them."

Bonnie could see the hurt in his eyes. She shook her head. _Rejected by yet another 'family',_ she thought.

Bonnie shivered. The fire was going out and it was getting chilly. She got up to rekindle it.

"Here, I'll do it," Enzo said getting up too.

"What are you, the fire building expert?" she joked.

"No, but I think I've had more practice than you," he teased.

"How do you know that I'm not an expert fire builder?" Bonnie quipped.

"Are you?" he said smirking.

Bonnie pursed her lips and looked away.

"All that 'huntressing' must leave you little time for _anything_ else," Enzo said with a hint of flirtation.

They looked at each other sharing a secret smile as they stood side by side in front of the fire that Enzo had now rekindled.

Bonnie felt very warm and it had nothing to do with the fire.

Enzo looked at her with a lazy gaze.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" he asked in a deeper, slightly husky voice.

Bonnie was distracted by his warm, brown gaze. This was not like her. Men didn't get her flustered. She was a Huntress for chrisssakes – no one got her flustered!

"Hmm...Erm... research," she said mentally shaking herself out of her stupor. _Focus!_ She told herself.

"What else?" Enzo asked still mesmerizing her with his intense gaze and the soothing bass of his voice.

She blinked. "Caroline insisted we go shopping to get something to wear to the radio station's party on Saturday. I don't even like shopping!"

"Too girly?"

"Definitely. I don't even think I should go to this party. Doesn't seem right with my Mom and..." Bonnie started to explain.

"You're allowed to have a life, love," Enzo told her.

 _There he goes with that endearing 'love' business again._

"Maybe you need a break and to have some fun to rejuvenate. You might think more clearly once you relax," he suggested.

Bonnie could think of a few things that would help her to relax right now and all she would need is Enzo and a bed. _Get your mind out of the gutter Bonnie Bennett!_

Bonnie sighed. Then Enzo reached forward and gently pulled some of the curls of her hair between his fingers.

"What are you-" Bonnie began.

"Ash," he said.

Bonnie looked at him confused.

"From the fire," he clarified.

Bonnie swallowed and nodded slowly. _How is he suddenly standing so much closer to me?_

Enzo stroked the curls of her hair with his fingers again. She put her hand on his and pulled it away from her hair.

"I think you got it," she said raising her eyebrows at him.

He was looking at her mouth.

"I'm gonna go to bed," she told him.

He was still looking at her mouth.

"I'm tired," she added.

He finally looked up and into her eyes. "Sleep well," he said.

"Night," she replied.

Bonnie could see the desire in his eyes, and she felt him watching her until she was out of the room.

 _Sleep well... after that... you gotta be fucking kidding me!_ She thought.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Hey," Enzo greeted Bonnie as he walked into the living room at the Boarding House.

She was sat on the sofa by the fireplace with a laptop on her lap. A glass of cherry cola rested on the table as her morning caffeine fix in lieu of coffee. How she had such nice teeth with all that sugar he did not know.

She looked up and greeted him with a smile, "Hey."

He felt his stomach tremble excitedly at the sight of her. _How can she make even sweatpants look hot?_ he thought.

She wore a t-shirt with the sweatpants and her violet coloured curls were pulled up into a messy bun. Even dressed down, with no make up he thought she looked beautiful.

"I forgot to tell you last night, but I dreamt about what happened to that last Huntress," she informed him.

"Yeah?" he replied going to sit down next to her on the sofa.

He ended up sitting a little closer than planned and their thighs brushed against each other. He noticed Bonnie look momentarily to where their bodies had made contact, but she didn't move away. She turned her head to look at him. She looked fresh faced and much more relaxed than she had done since he'd met her. She'd obviously slept well once she went back to bed last night. Well, he sorta gathered that since he heard her singing happily in the shower about an hour ago. He noted that she had a nice singing voice.

Enzo hadn't slept at all. He had a problem with 'wood' for the rest of the night once Bonnie left him standing by the fireplace, and that problem wasn't to do with fire building logs or a wooden stake.

"What did you see?" he asked regarding the dream.

"The Heretics slaughtered people at a beach house. I saw the Heretic that got killed and the one who bit the Huntress."

 _That must be how the Armory figured out the effects of a Huntresses blood on Heretics_ , Enzo considered.

"It was weird though..." Bonnie continued. "The Heretics ran, well vanished, because they were under attack from someone else. But I couldn't see their attackers. I mean, I'm assuming it was the Armory but... they hid themselves well."

"The Armory are good at that," Enzo told her.

"I heard a name... Terina," Bonnie revealed.

He was starting to put two and two together. But he'd save that information for later.

"Ok. I'll look into it," he assured her.

Bonnie looked at him as if she knew he was holding something back, but she didn't say anything. She was being patient. Biding her time.

"You know what I don't get..." Bonnie began.

"What?" Enzo responded thinking she was about to bust his balls.

"...Lily cared enough about her sons to want them to have a normal life. She was kind enough to be like a mother to you. Even Julian showed he had a heart by saving Lily and taking care of Valerie... and that's when they were already vampires... How did they go from that to heartless, mass murderers?" Bonnie questioned.

It was something that perplexed Enzo too. He had a bias where Lily was concerned. He'd only ever known her as the first person in his existence to be kind to him with no ulterior motive.

"I don't know," was all he could offer in response.

"Heretics are like hybrids right? Vampires crossed with witch siphons?" Bonnie asked him.

He nodded.

"Are siphons known to be psychotic?"

"Not as far as I'm aware," Enzo answered. "Valerie was just a normal, pleasant girl when I knew her." _Until Julian turned her against me_ , he thought to himself.

"I didn't get to do much research on the Heretics yesterday, but I'll see what else I can find out," he promised Bonnie.

"Ok," she replied.

"See you later," he said with a parting smile.

"See ya," Bonnie said smiling back at him.

Enzo hadn't intended to flirt with her the way he did last night, but now he realized that it was her smile that had influenced him. When she made her little joke about building fires... that glow in her green eyes... the way her mouth became even more tempting when it was upturned in a smile... His response was automatic, he had no control.

He had to stop this. It just _couldn't_ happen. They were too preoccupied with the Heretics, the Armory and Abby for anything to happen anyway. And, once it was all over Bonnie would probably leave Mystic Falls and he would forget all about her. Well... that's what he tried to tell himself.

#

 _This has to stop_ , Bonnie thought to herself. _Vampire + Huntress = Wrong. Get it together, Bonnie!_

Every time Enzo came near her now she felt like she might explode if he didn't kiss her, or touch her or... _something_. She liked him. A lot. And 'liked' was probably an understatement. It wasn't just physical. They had an affinity and they were drawn to each other like magnets. But it was still wrong and it couldn't happen.

Bonnie distracted herself by doing research on the laptop she'd borrowed from Stefan. She started off by researching 'accidents' where around 100 victims died together and fire was involved but the case was deemed suspicious or unsolved. She was trying to figure out if there was a pattern in the locations that the Heretics chose when they targeted their victims, but Bonnie's search was hopeless. The locations were random and included different countries.

The Heretics were smart, she'd give them that. They must have been on the hit list of Hunters, Huntresses and the Armory for at least decades. But they knew how to vanish once they had binged on their victims' blood.

Next, Bonnie researched explosives that could be used to get into the Armory and get Abby out. She wasn't an explosives expert and most of what she read was like another language to her. So she gave up and tried calling her Dad again. It still went to voicemail (no surprise there) and Bonnie didn't leave messages unless it was an emergency. She took a risk by going to her Dad's house since Jeremy, or even the Armory, could have been looking out for her to make an appearance. As expected her Dad wasn't home so she took another risk by visiting her Grams grave.

Bonnie still missed her Grams like there was no tomorrow. She always wondered how different her life would have been if Grams was still around and there to help her through her transition into a Huntress. But she couldn't dwell on it for too long. She had to much to do to allow herself to become depressed.

The shopping trip with Caroline was actually a welcome distraction from everything. Bonnie hadn't exactly been looking forward to it, but luckily Caroline only had a few hours to spare as she was busy for most of the day and would also be busy in the evening with work preparing for the party, which was tomorrow.

Caroline tried to get Bonnie to buy a dress, but it would have to be a pretty damn special occasion for that to happen. Bonnie took control and made sure she spent her money on something that she would be comfortable in.

She was actually starting to look forward to the party now, and once again she was feeling nostalgic about her old life.

#

Enzo had a busy day too. Alex was still out of town but somehow she made sure he was kept busy at the Armory. In between work he managed to track down paperwork showing the layout of the building. He was able to do a little more research on the Heretics and he had planned on looking into what security systems were in place at the Armory, but he ran out of time. He had someone he needed to meet.

#

"Lorenzo," Lily Salvatore stood and greeted Enzo as he approached her in a bar outside of Mystic Falls.

He kissed her on the cheek, then they sat down and ordered some drinks.

"You know what I'm going to say don't you? You need to leave. The farther away the better," Enzo warned her.

Lily looked down. "I know. And we will. Once we get what we came for," she replied.

"Where are you staying?" he asked her.

"It's best if I don't say. You never know who's listening," she told him.

Enzo took a sip of his drink.

"Look... Lily... I really think that the best thing you can do is move on while you have the chance," he reiterated.

"I'm not leaving her behind, Lorenzo," she said stubbornly.

"You still don't know where she is?" he asked.

Lily shook her head in response. She leaned in closer to him and spoke quietly. "Location spells aren't working anymore and we can't 'connect' with her. We were able to track her as far as Mystic Falls then the magic got weaker. And now... nothing."

"Do you think she's alive, " Enzo asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes. If she were dead we'd all be weaker. We just can't pin point where she is," Lily told him frustrated.

She still seemed like the Lily he knew, but deep down he understood that she couldn't be the same. Enzo would readily admit that he was no saint, but the way the Heretics killed... it was on another level. Still, he didn't want the Armory to get her. The Heretics were powerful, but with the Armory's new weapon – Huntress blood – and their man-power, they could probably make the Heretics their latest test subjects. Enzo didn't want that for Lily and that's why he wasn't ready to tell her about them yet.

"Do you know who's after you yet?" he asked her.

"Other than the Hunters and Huntresses, no," she said. "But whoever they are they obviously have some secret weapon, so we have to be careful."

Enzo looked away taking another sip of his drink. The guilt of playing double, or triple, agent was getting to him, so he changed the subject.

"You still don't want to see Damon or Stefan?" he queried.

Lily's expression changed to one full of bitterness and resentment. He swore he could see angry vamp veins developing under her eyes.

"They're part of a life I want to forget. The past should stay in the past," she said coldly and Enzo felt a dark, dangerous vibe emanating from her.

This side of Lily was alien to him. He understood that she wanted to forget the past, and maybe she'd felt trapped with Giuseppe for the sake of the boys. But they were her children. He looked into her face and all he could see was hate. For Giuseppe. For her sons? He didn't like this version of Lily one bit.

Enzo picked up his glass again and swallowed the rest of his drink in one gulp.

"I have to go, Lily," he told her.

She looked up at him. Her expression softened slightly.

"Take care and think about what I said, if you want to be safe," Enzo said to her.

"I know," she replied smiling weakly now. "You know how to contact me if you ever want to talk," she said referring to her cellphone. "You know I hate those things, but they are useful."

Enzo smiled. Lily wasn't the greatest fan of modern technology, but she always adapted to her circumstances. _A little too well_ , he thought, thinking back to her scornful attitude towards her sons who had done nothing to deserve it. It wasn't their fault that their father was an absolute bastard to Lily.

"Goodbye," Enzo said exiting the bar.

He had a feeling that his friendship with Lily Salvatore was coming to an end. He had yet to see the evil side of her for himself, but he knew it was there. He still didn't want to see her hurt, but if it came down to it he might have to let Bonnie do what she needed to do. And if it was a choice between Lily becoming the Armory's next project or being put down by a Huntress, he'd rather it be the latter.

#

"Whoot whooow!" Damon wolf-whistled as Bonnie entered the living room.

Bonnie noticed the jealous death glare that Enzo gave Damon.

It was Saturday evening and Stefan was waiting for Bonnie so he could drive them to the park where they would meet Caroline for the radio station's party.

Enzo couldn't help staring as he took in Bonnie's appearance. He swallowed. Hard.

He'd already seen Bonnie with no make up and thought she was gorgeous anyway. With just a little bit of enhancement she was absolutely stunning. She'd created a smokey eyed look and used something that made her cheekbones glow. The final touch to her make up was a natural looking lip gloss.

Her violet curls were swept to the side with a deep parting, in a loose ponytail that rested on her shoulder. Long bangs swept across her eyebrow and some loose curls framed her face. Black and silver feathered earrings that looked like little dream-catchers complimented the look.

She wore denim shorts that weren't too short but still showed off the smooth, toned caramel skin of her legs. With the shorts she wore a loose fitting, cropped black t-shirt, which revealed her abs, and a short, fitted khaki jacket. On her feet were dark brown boots that had a slight heel, coming up just a few inches above her ankles with buckles and a zip at the sides.

Enzo liked her style. She looked 100% woman. Not overly girly, not too revealing and not over the top in anyway.

"You scrub up pretty good, Bon Bon," Damon commented.

Bonnie smiled and rolled her eyes at Damon's comment. Then, she looked at him with deep concern.

"Are you ok, Damon?" she said deadly serious.

"What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely worried.

"You don't have a bottle of bourbon in your hand," she quipped.

Enzo and Stefan chuckled. Bonnie grinned cheekily and Damon rolled his eyes.

"You ready, Bonnie?" Stefan said.

"Yeah," she answered, lifting the long strap of her small purse over her head and across her body.

The extra bit of skin she revealed as her t-shirt rode up in the process almost had Enzo salivating.

Enzo stood up. "Come on then," he said to Damon.

"What, you're going to?" she said mainly to Enzo but also to Damon.

"I was invited. _He_ decided to tag along," Enzo informed her. Obviously Caroline hadn't told her he'd be there.

"Ok," she said.

For a second it seemed as if she didn't want him to be there.

"Let's go then," Bonnie said walking past Damon and Enzo as she left her sweet scent in her wake.

Enzo could feel his control dissolving. _Well, this should be an interesting evening,_ he mused.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you for the reviews. They're always appreciated.**

 **With regard to the review about 'white-washing' Lily's and Julian's characters, just a reminder that this fic was never planned to follow everything exactly as it happened on TVD. So a lot of the events that happened in the characters' lives on the show didn't happen in my story, or they happened differently.**

 **I'm trying to bring in TVD elements and put my own spin on them.**

 **I agree Lily and Julian were bad through and through. And, without giving too much away Lily is definitely not a martyr in this story, and Julian is veeerrry far from being a saint, as you'll discover. Also, in my story Giuseppe abused his wife but he never abused his sons.**

 **I get how it may have come across that those 3 horrible characters were given sympathy in Chapter 8 if they were meant to be the same as they were in TVD, but I wish you'd read Chapter 9 before thinking Lily is a martyr. Anyway, too late now.**

 **It's a shame if you really have given up on the story, but for anyone who continues to read it please just bear in mind that it's a bit of an alternate universe where the characters as well as the events can differ from TVD.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

It occurred to Bonnie that the radio station's party might be the type of event to attract the Heretics for their blood binge. Then again, the huge park was filled with around a thousand people, give or take, and it was probably a little too high profile for their needs.

Bonnie's Huntress version of 'spidey senses' were on alert and she felt like something could go down tonight. In the mean time she would enjoy herself.

Caroline returned to Bonnie at the side of the stage with 2 bottles of beer in hand. Her blond hair flowed freely and she wore a paisley patterned maxi dress with flat, strappy sandals. It was a warm night considering summer had only just arrived and it reminded Bonnie of the times she, Elena and Caroline spent at this very park as teenagers.

"Enjoying yourself yet?" Caroline asked as she handed Bonnie a beer.

"Yeah," Bonnie replied honestly.

Bonnie couldn't remember the last time she'd gone to a party for purposes other than tracking a deviant vampire. Even in college she couldn't spare the time to go to parties. She barely had time to study, and she was extremely proud that she was able to get her degree with how her other _responsibilities_ took over her life.

"You wanna go near the front of the stage instead?" Caroline asked her.

"Nah. Here's good," she replied.

Bonnie had gotten used to being in the background or on the sidelines. It was where she felt the most comfortable now. It gave her more of an opportunity to observe.

Caroline had done a great job organizing the event. It was more like a mini music festival than a party. The artists performing weren't known worldwide, but there were some biggish names.

There were a variety of food stalls serving the usual burgers and hotdogs, but also Mexican food, ribs and vegan food too. There were several mini bars with cocktails on offer as well as beer and shots. And some of the stalls were selling artwork, clothes and jewellery.

Stefan, Damon and Enzo had disappeared somewhere in the park about an hour ago, leaving the girls to continue the process of re-connecting.

"So you never told me that Tyler works for the Armory," Bonnie said over the loud music. At least it was less loud at the side of the stage.

Caroline turned to look at her surprised. "That's because I didn't know. Enzo never told me, but then we're not super close," she replied loudly. "As far as I know Tyler's in New York. You think Matt could be working for them too?"

"It's possible," Bonnie said. Caroline had informed her that Matt became a cop and transferred out of Mystic Falls a few months ago.

"Is Alaric still here?" Bonnie queried.

"No," Caroline responded. "I forgot to tell you. He married a doctor, Jo, and they moved to Dallas. I think he has twin daughters now."

"Really? Good for him. He never used to have much luck with women," Bonnie commented.

"Exactly," Caroline said. "Lets go by the front of the stage for a while. I need to dance."

"Ok," Bonnie responded a little reluctantly. It was about time she loosened up.

#

After dancing for half an hour Bonnie and Caroline went to look at the stalls. They were set up side by side in a U shape around a central stall that was promoting the radio station.

Caroline was looking at jewellery while Bonnie was people watching. But then she felt like she was being watched. She looked towards the radio station's central stall and noticed a tall, dark haired man looking at her. He was really good looking. Bonnie tried to ignore him, but she felt his eyes boring into her.

"Who is that?" she eventually asked Caroline.

Caroline turned around to see who Bonnie was referring to. "Tall, dark and handsome?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah," Bonnie answered.

"That's Kai Parker. He's the new owner of the radio station," Caroline explained.

"The owner? He looks so young," Bonnie observed.

"He just turned 30... and he's a billionaire," Caroline added.

"Yeah, right," Bonnie laughed.

"Seriously," Caroline told her.

His bank balance didn't matter to Bonnie either way.

"Looks like he sees something he likes," Caroline said noticing the way Kai was looking at her friend. "Wanna go meet him?"

"No," Bonnie said abruptly.

To be honest she was wondering where Enzo was. But it wouldn't hurt to talk to the sexy billionaire.

"Looks like you don't have a choice," Caroline said as Kai approached them.

#

As Enzo, Damon and Stefan approached one of the bars Enzo noticed some slick looking guy talking to Bonnie and Caroline. The guy hugged Caroline briefly, then shook Bonnie's hand. Very slowly. When he was still holding onto her hand after several seconds Bonnie started to look uncomfortable.

 _What the fuck?! Who's this dickhead?!_ Enzo thought.

Bonnie pulled her hand out of the man's but she was smiling at him.

"Enzo...? Enzo...? _Enzo?_ " Damon repeated.

"Yeah?!" Enzo replied sharply, not bothering to look at Damon.

"What do you want to drink?" Damon asked but Enzo didn't answer as he was still watching Bonnie. "What the hell is up with you?" Damon queried. "What are you looking at...? Oh."

Damon saw the dark haired man talking to Bonnie and Caroline.

"What?" Stefan said looking to where his brother and Enzo were staring.

"Enzo's just got his panties in a twist cause Mr. Slick is chatting to the pretty Huntress," Damon said.

"That's Caroline's boss," Stefan told them.

"The billionaire!" Damon said.

Enzo turned to look at Damon.

"Don't worry, man," Damon said patting Enzo on the shoulder. "Bon Bon's too down-to-earth to fall for some rich dude's swag."

Stefan chuckled while Enzo gave Damon yet another death glare before turning his attention back to Bonnie.

"What?" Damon asked Stefan.

"Since when do you use the word 'swag'?" Stefan queried.

"I watch MTV sometimes," Damon informed him. "Anyway, don't worry about that guy, Enzo. I think Bon Bon likes _you._ "

Enzo turned to Damon with a look that said _mind your own fucking business!_

"I'll get my own drink," Enzo responded ignoring Damon's comments about Bonnie.

He turned towards the bar. He couldn't deny that he was feeling jealous, and not being able to deny it pissed him off more than the jealousy itself.

#

Bonnie felt Enzo's eyes on her from a distance. She could tell that he wasn't impressed by Kai Parker approaching her.

"So what do you do, Bonnie?" Kai asked her.

"I used to mentor victims of domestic violence," she told him tearing her eyes away from Enzo. "Right now I'm on a... sabbatical."

"You know you'd be perfect for Caroline's show," he began.

"I already asked her, Kai," Caroline interrupted. "Bonnie is doing other things at the moment, so she doesn't have time."

Bonnie looked at Caroline, mentally thanking her for getting her out of appearing on the radio right now.

"So you don't live in Mystic falls, do you?" Kai asked Bonnie.

"What makes you say that?" she replied.

"Caroline would have mentioned you," he said smiling.

He was actually gorgeous. He had a charming smile and beautiful grey eyes. _But it's Enzo's eyes that pull me in,_ Bonnie thought to herself.

"True," Bonnie responded to Kai's assumption. "I did live here. I left to... study. And now I'm back for a visit."

"How long will you be here?" Kai asked.

"Not sure yet," she answered.

"Well, maybe you could visit the station while you're here. Unofficially of course," he said.

"If I have time," Bonnie told him, smiling politely.

"Well here's my card," he said handing her his business card.

"Thanks," she said taking it and putting it in her purse.

"See you later, Caroline," Kai said.

"Bye, Kai," she replied.

Once Kai had gone back to the central stall Caroline spoke to Bonnie. "Looks like Kai isn't the only man who's under your spell tonight," she commented.

"Hmmm...?" Bonnie responded.

"Enzo's over there being hit on by some girl, but he's staring at you like she doesn't exist," Caroline told her.

Bonnie looked over to where Enzo was indeed being hit on by an attractive brunette, and frankly, Bonnie wasn't happy about it at all.

#

"So what's your name?" the brunette asked Enzo even though he wasn't paying her any attention. " I'm Rebecca," she informed him.

He turned to look at the brunette briefly then turned away again. She was attractive, but so were a million other women. "I'm Enzo," he said, his eyes focused elsewhere.

"Nice name," she told him.

Damon and Stefan had left him at the bar since he was being so grouchy over Bonnie talking to the billionaire, but he could do with them being there as a diversion right now.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Enzo?" she asked.

 _This one is forward_ , he thought.

"Why?" he responded curtly.

"Maybe we could have a drink and get to know each other," she suggested.

 _Persistent too._

Enzo looked back to where Bonnie was standing and noticed her watching him. She was clearly not impressed by the attention he was receiving. _Good_ , he thought. _Now you know how it feels._

"So what do you think?" the annoying brunette asked him.

"I think you're not my type," he told her.

She looked stunned, as if she wasn't used to rejection, but it was probably the harshness of the rejection she wasn't used to.

"And what is your type?" she said, blatantly annoyed by Enzo's rude brush off.

He looked her up and down before replying. "Just not you," he said, then walked away leaving her slack-jawed.

* * *

 **Before any Kai fans get too excited he's just a normal guy in this fic, sorry to disappoint! And, by the way, the party in the park is far from over.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Bonnie couldn't help laughing as she watched Caroline trying to get Stefan to dance near the front of the stage. He obviously wasn't the biggest fan of dancing, well, at least not to modern music, but that didn't stop Caroline from trying to get him moving.

Damon came to stand next to Bonnie nearer to the side of the stage.

"I see Stefan's being tortured again," Damon commented.

"Yeah, she's been trying to get him to dance for the last 10 minutes. I think he's starting to give up the fight," Bonnie responded. She looked around Damon. "Where's Enzo?"

"Probably brooding somewhere over you and Bill Gates 2.0," Damon said referring to Bonnie's introduction to Kai Parker.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow and gave him a _why do you have to go there?_ look.

"If Caroline asks I've gone for a walk," she told Damon.

He probably thought she was going to look for Enzo, which she wasn't, but frankly Bonnie didn't care. She just needed some space and to get away from the noise for a little while.

Bonnie walked through the park until there were no people around and the music was a distant sound. She noticed a stone bridge over a big pond and made her way over to it. It was dark now, but the bridge had rows of lights. It was a feature that hadn't been in the park when Bonnie lived in Mystic Falls but it was a beautiful addition to the peaceful surroundings.

Bonnie had to watch her step as she approached the bridge because the ground leading up to it was uneven. As she made it onto the bridge she saw a man standing in the middle at it's highest point. As she got closer she realized who the man was.

 _Enzo._ She wasn't really in the mood to talk to him after their experience of mutual jealousy and she was contemplating backing up and getting out of there, but then he saw her and looked at her with recognition as if he was expecting her to come over and talk to him.

Bonnie decided there was no point in being childish and made her way over to him. With the increased lighting Bonnie could see that the pond was surrounded by rocks and greenery. At one side there was a mini waterfall and the pond was covered with water lilies.

Enzo stood with his arms resting on the wall of the bridge. Bonnie stood next to him copying his stance.

"It's really beautiful," she observed.

"Yeah," Enzo responded looking down at the water.

The sound of the mini waterfall was soothing and for a second Bonnie felt like she didn't have a care in the world.

"I see you were busy making new friends," Enzo said to her referring to Kai.

"Ditto," she replied with regard to his brunette admirer. "But I have too much going on to spend time hanging out with new people," she told him.

They turned to look at each other.

"Same here," Enzo told her.

A sense of relief washed over them from knowing that neither one of them was interested in getting involved with other people, even if they had no business getting involved with each other. The tension between them eased and they spent a few moments absorbing the scenery.

Bonnie scanned the area before speaking, but even if someone was spying on them she wouldn't really be able to see them anyway. "So you're really gonna wait until tomorrow to tell me what you found out about the Heretics?"

"I wanted you to have a break and just enjoy the night before getting back to 'work'," he told her.

She appreciated the gesture but she was eager to know. She looked at him expectantly.

"There's not that much to tell," he said facing her. "Lily's here for Terina. A Heretic."

"Ok," Bonnie had guessed that's what Terina was. The dark haired young woman who bit the Huntress.

"She's in a cell at the Armory," Enzo added.

"Really?" Bonnie said.

Enzo nodded. "Terina's classed as high risk, so the security is much tighter for her than your Mum. I'm trying to figure out how to get down there and see her. See if she'll tell me anything."

"I doubt she'll talk," Bonnie told him.

"You never know. Anyway, they've been keeping her sedated with Huntress blood. That's why she hasn't escaped and the Heretics haven't found her yet."

Bonnie nodded. "Anything else?" she asked.

"That's all at the present. I didn't get the opportunity to look into security yet, so..."

"I get it," Bonnie said disappointed. "I still can't believe she's alive," she said referring to Abby.

"You really don't remember anything about her?" Enzo said looking at Bonnie as she gazed at the mini waterfall.

"Not really. But Grams told me that she was _insanely_ happy when I was born," Bonnie said with a smile. "After she disappeared I saw less and less of my Dad. He was always working. I thought he didn't wanna spend time with me because he didn't love me, but Grams told me it was because I reminded him of my Mom too much... and he missed her like crazy. He's never gotten over her. So he uses work as a distraction." Bonnie turned to look at him. "What happened with your family?"

"They left me at a workhouse when I was a child," he said.

"A workhouse... like in Oliver Twist?" Bonnie asked with disbelief.

"Kind of," Enzo looked at the water lilies floating on the pond. "I still have no idea why they left me."

Bonnie watched him sympathetically.

"I was kicked out of the workhouse when I was 17."

"Why?" Bonnie asked shocked.

"Because I was a healthy young adult and they decided I needed to go out into the world and fend for myself." Enzo noticed the shocked expression on her face. "They did it to a lot of the boys my age. I was homeless for a few years and I had to do some unsavoury things to survive, but eventually I managed to get work."

 _What an absolutely shitty way to grow up!_ Bonnie thought. She felt guilty for thinking that she had it rough due to losing her Mom, having a workaholic dad and being a Huntress, but Enzo started out with nothing and noone and continued to suffer.

"Everything I ever had in life I had to earn by myself. On my own," he said looking at her with sadness but also strong determination. "Being 'turned' by Lily was a blessing. That's when I had real freedom. Until Augustine. But before that I was able to travel, educate myself... I wasn't hungry or homeless. I was still on my own but it was better than my human life."

 _He's still lonely._ Bonnie sensed it. At least she had Grams for 17 years of her life. And she had her friends. From what she knew Enzo had experienced what? A few months of kindness from a woman who was now a psychotic killer.

"I'm sorry you had such a difficult life," Bonnie said sincerely.

"I'm a survivor," Enzo said looking at her with a weak smile.

A warm breeze drifted over them and blew Bonnie's hair into her eyes. Enzo turned towards her and lifted his hand to gently stroke the hair away from her face.

 _Not again..._ Bonnie thought, as Enzo looked at her as if she was the answer to all of his problems.

"Wanna go back to the party?" Bonnie asked softly breaking the moment.

"Yeah," Enzo said coming out of his daze and they walked together along the bridge.

#

As they walked through deserted areas of the park they talked some more about their lives, sharing bits of information. They approached an empty children's play area and saw a young couple making out against a wall.

 _Something feels off._ Bonnie realized. She ran towards the couple and Enzo followed.

It wasn't a couple making out. The guy was a vampire feeding on a young woman.

Bonnie dragged the guy off of his victim in one powerful move and threw him behind her, he crashed into the slide and bounced off the ground.

"Help her," Bonnie said to Enzo.

Enzo gave the girl some of his blood to heal her and compelled her to go home while Bonnie dealt with the vampire. She usually didn't have to deal with random vampire attacks, but if she was around when one happened she'd do what she had to do.

She ran towards the vampire who grabbed her by the throat and smashed her against the side of the slide. Enzo was about to help her when she sent the vampire flying with an almighty kick. He stood back up as Bonnie approached him. He ripped out one of the seats from the swing and tried to hit her with it but she blocked his attack with her arms and pushed him down to the ground with his own improvised weapon.

She needed something to kill him with. With some effort she could probably rip out his heart with her bare hands, but truth be told, she wasn't a fan of wearing vampire innards on her hands and arms and tended to save that method of execution for extreme situations. She was a little OCD that way.

She threw away the seat of the swing and punched the vamp in the face several times. Then she picked him up and threw him across the play area again. She knew he would probably try to use vamp speed to escape so she made sure she got to him in time.

He managed to punch her in the jaw a few times before she kicked him hard in the chest and managed to twist him around to get him in a headlock.

All Enzo could do was watch her in awe. Clearly she didn't need his help.

Bonnie released the vampire's from the headlock just long enough to smash his face into the roundabout. While he was face down and dazed she began to rip one of the metal panels out of the roundabout. The vamp tried to get up but Bonnie stomped on his neck to keep him down. When she'd freed the metal panel from the frame she lifted it high up into to the air then brought it down quickly and powerfully to decapitate the vampire.

She breathed heavily checking that the vampire was in fact dead.

"You ok, love?" Enzo said with an amused grin on his face. He was impressed. A little scared. And a little turned on too.

Bonnie looked down checking herself for injuries.

Bonnie huffed, "Son of a bitch... You got blood on my new jacket, asshole!" she said to the dead vampire.

#

Bonnie let Enzo help her dispose of the corpse. They burnt the body in a forest-like area of the park with the help of a couple of bottles of bourbon Damon had left in Enzo's car. Sure, Damon would be pissed when he found out that his bourbon was gone, but desperate times called for expensive liquor. If Bonnie had to deal with the loss of her new favourite jacket, which she'd thrown into the boot of Enzo's car, then Damon could deal with a small dent in his never ending supply of booze.

For whatever reason Enzo carried a shovel in his car so he was using that to dig a hole to bury whatever was left of the vampire's remains while Bonnie used a piece of wood to help move some of the dirt.

"We're gonna need something to wash the blood off the play area. The kids don't need to see that when they come back here," Bonnie said.

"Well there's no more bourbon, but I'm sure Caroline can get us some water," Enzo said."

"Good idea," Bonnie replied.

They shared another of their secret smiles as they worked side by side. _Check us out bonding over burnt vampire corpses_ , Bonnie contemplated amused by the bizarreness of the situation.

#

Caroline came through with the water and they managed to make themselves and the children's play area presentable, although they couldn't fix the broken swing or the roundabout. That would be a problem that Caroline would have to compel her way out of since it would look like vandalism had occurred during her event.

Enzo was driving Bonnie home to change their clothes and promised Caroline that they'd return to the park since it was barely 10pm and the party was expected to go on 'til after midnight.

During the drive they passed by the grounds of the Lockwood Mansion. Bonnie started to look around restlessly.

"What's wrong?" Enzo asked noticing the change in her behaviour.

"Stop the car," she requested.

 _This isn't right,_ Bonnie told herself as Enzo pulled over at the side of the road. _I'm not supposed to be here._ But she was drawn to the place. She hadn't told anyone that the Heretics had been inside the Lockwood Mansion in her dreams yet and she knew she was asking for trouble by being anywhere near the place, but she couldn't stop herself.

She got out of the car.

"Where are you going?" Enzo called to her, getting out of the car too.

"You need to leave," she answered in response.

"You're acting really weird... I'm not going anywhere," Enzo said to her.

"Please. Go," she said.

"No chance," Enzo told her stubbornly.

She looked at him and sighed, shaking her head, then walked towards the high gate and started to climb up it.

"What the...!" Enzo exclaimed. But he wasn't about to leave her, so he followed.

#

They got closer to the house but kept enough distance that the occupants would not see them as the lights were on in the mansion.

"Tyler's in New York right?" Bonnie asked Enzo quietly.

"As far as I know," he answered.

"Does he rent the place out?" she queried.

"I'm not sure. But I don't think so," Enzo said.

Bonnie needed to get closer, she knew she shouldn't but...

"Bonnie, don't-" Enzo began just as the force of a huge explosion threw them into the air and away from the house before they hit the ground hard.

Bonnie's ears were ringing. Enzo sat her up by the shoulders and she could just about make out that he was saying, "Are you alright?". She nodded and turned to look towards the house as they still sat on the ground.

The doorway, windows and walls at each side of the door were blown out. People ran out of the house. They were Heretics.

A dozen or so men ran towards them firing wooden stakes and what looked like tranquilizer darts but it had little effect on the Heretics as they used their magic to throw the men around like they were rag dolls.

 _Jeremy._ Bonnie was able to recognize him and knew that these men were Hunters. Obviously they hadn't been clued in about using Huntresses blood to tranquilize the Heretics since their weapons were useless against them.

Bonnie needed to help the Hunters.

Before she was able to get up a black van came from around the back of the mansion and about 20 people ran out. They too had weapons. They started firing and few of the Heretics fell to the ground. The Heretics started chanting and Enzo used vamp speed to get Bonnie back to the gate and away from the house. He helped her to climb over the gate and get into the car as quickly as they could. The tyres screeched as they sped away.

"What the hell just happened?!" Bonnie asked him.

"The Armory," he told her before returning his attention to the road to get them home.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

So, Alex had been successful in keeping tabs on the Hunters by the looks of things. They'd used them to track down the Heretics and couldn't even be bothered to let them in on the secret weapon – Huntresses blood. Not that Enzo should care about the Armory helping the Hunters, but it just proved how much of a bitch Alex was. Those Hunters could be dead because they were unequipped to deal with their targets. And Alex knew that.

Bonnie could be dead too if he hadn't followed her over that gate. He didn't even want to think about it.

He'd almost forgotten about Lily. Was she ok?

"Arrrrgh...son of a bitch!" Bonnie yelled in Pain.

Enzo stood outside of her bedroom door. "Sure you don't want some help?" he asked her again.

"No!" she shouted, mainly because she was in pain.

Whatever explosives the Hunters had used were powerful. He and Bonnie had been hit by what felt like about a million small pieces of debris even though they were standing a reasonable distance away from the mansion during the blast. Bonnie took the worst of it since she was wearing less clothes.

"Shit!" Enzo heard her yell.

"Bonnie?" he called. No answer. "Bonnie?" Still no answer.

Enzo entered the room Bonnie slept in and knocked on the door of the en-suite bathroom.

"Bonnie?" he called again.

"What?!" she said pulling the door open aggressively.

"Let me help you," Enzo said calmly and reassuringly. Man she was stubborn.

She waved him into the bathroom with her hand and a sour expression on her face.

Bonnie stood with her back leaned against the sink unit. Enzo wasn't sure where to begin. Due to the angle she'd been standing at during the blast, mainly the right side of her body had been hit. The left side just had cuts. But on her right side tiny pieces of glass, wood and gravel were lodged in the skin on her legs and arms. Some pieces had even cut through her t-shirt on her shoulder and back.

Enzo decided to start with her legs and work his way up. He picked up a thin piece of gauze and used it to pull the pieces of debris out of her skin.

"Ow!" she yelled.

He looked up from where he was kneeling down on the floor in front of her. "I thought Huntresses healed quickly," he said.

"We do. But not as fast as vampires. And just because we can heal quickly doesn't mean that we can't feel _pain_!" Bonnie warned him.

She was very sexy when she was angry and he wanted to smile. But he also wanted to live. So he didn't go there.

Enzo continued to pull the debris out of her leg but it was very awkward.

"Here," Bonnie said lifting herself up to sit on the counter next to the sink so that Enzo could work on her standing up. "Better?" she asked more calmly.

"'Yes," he answered.

As he worked at trying to help return Bonnie's skin to it's former perfection he noticed how soft her skin was. When he got to her thighs she was very quiet, only flinching now and then. He looked to her eyes and a flush of arousal flowed through him. _She felt that too_ , he observed as her pupils dilated.

 _She's injured. Stop it!_ He told himself. But there was nothing he could do to prevent himself from imagining how it would feel to stand in front of her and part her knees so that he could move in between her thighs.

She flinched again, and he swallowed hard. _What's happening to me?_ He thought. Arousal was taking over.

He was starting to lose control of his actions as he stroked each section of skin with a finger each time he removed a piece of wood or glass or gravel.

Finally he finished working on her thigh, stroking it gently with his hand. Bonnie flinched again, and he knew that this time it had nothing to do with pain.

He looked up into her eyes again. She didn't say a word. She just watched him with a hazy look in her beautiful green eyes. Her scent was surrounding him, even over the smells of smoke from the fire, dirt and the explosion. His vamp senses must have picked up the scent.

He started working on the right side of her stomach where the skin was exposed by her t-shirt. She shuddered as his fingers made contact with her skin. He could hear her heart beating faster.

 _Focus,_ he told himself. _Don't push it._

Enzo managed to clean up Bonnie's stomach and the front of her arm without doing something inappropriate, but it was just a matter of time.

Bonnie stood up and turned to face the mirror while Enzo stood behind her. Now he had to deal with her shoulder and her back. Her hair had loosened from it's band due to the blast. He brushed the loose curls over her left shoulder and tucked a finger into the neck of her t-shirt to try and move it to the side but he couldn't reach the areas of skin he needed. He tried pulling the sleeve up and then lifting the hem up, but there was still an area of skin he couldn't get to.

"Bonnie?" he said.

"Yes," she replied sounding on edge.

"Your t-shirt's in the way," he told her.

He looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked aroused but annoyed. He could tell she was as turned on as he was, and she wasn't happy about it. She was trying to resist him and he wished that he could resist her, but he felt as if he was failing. She huffed then dragged the t-shirt off abruptly. She was wearing a peacock blue bra. Enzo's eye's went to her breasts and his mouth watered. He looked again at Bonnie's eyes in the mirror which read, "I want to kiss, but I want to kill you too,".

Enzo tried to focus on removing the final bits of debris from Bonnie's back. Without even realizing it he stroked a hand down her left arm. She turned her head to the right and automatically moved closer. He hoped she couldn't feel how turned on he was, but the bulge in his pants was probably a huge giveaway. Literally. Their faces were so close that he could feel her warm breath.

 _Stop_ , he told himself again.

He sighed slowly and shakily, stroking Bonnie's arm once more. "Done," he said.

A few moments later Bonnie turned around to face him looking up into his eyes with a confused expression. Enzo put a finger under her chin lifting her face. Her lips parted slightly and he moved his eyes to the bruise on her jaw caused by the vampire.

 _What's happening to me?_ he thought. _Why can't I stop myself? Don't do this._ But he ignored his thoughts, looking at Bonnie's enticing lips and then into her eyes. _Stop me. Please._ But her control was gone too and there was nothing left to do but lean down and kiss her.

The first touch of their lips had his heart almost pounding out of his chest and he felt the same reaction in her too. He started gently, brushing his lips against hers. Then she opened up for him and he dived into a searing kiss. He placed one hand at the back of her head and wrapped the other around her waist pulling her so close to him that she could barely breathe. He felt like he was burning alive. She was branding him. He felt a connection to Bonnie unlike anything he'd ever known.

 _I haven't even known her for a whole week. It's too early to start falling for her... isn't it...?_ he told himself.

Bonnie's hands were wrapped around the back of his head pulling him in closer. He brushed her tongue with his and pushed her against the sink. If by some chance she hadn't felt his body's reaction to her before, she was definitely feeling it now as his manhood pressed into her belly. Their kiss was becoming frantic.

Enzo moved them to the side of the sink and lifted Bonnie up onto the counter. _Finally_ , he thought, standing in between her thighs. He used one of his hands to stroke her breast before sliding it down her bare stomach and over her bare thigh. She moaned softly. It sent him over the edge. Enzo put both of his hands under her ass and pulled her even closer to him. He broke away from her mouth momentarily to place kisses along her jawline and down her neck before moving back to her mouth. _I can't believe this is happening_ , he thought.

Suddenly the sound of a phone disturbed the moment. They slowed down momentarily, but ignored it and went back to worshipping each others mouths. The ringing stopped, but then it started again. They continued to ignore it. It stopped then rang again twice more. Bonnie broke the kiss.

"It's probably Caroline," she said breathlessly with her forehead pressed against Enzo's and her fingers wrapped around his neck.

He sighed deeply with frustration.

"I know," Bonnie said. "But she'll keep calling and if I don't answer she'll come here."

"How long is the journey again?" Enzo asked still more turned on than he had been in his entire life.

"Not long enough for _that_ ," Bonnie replied with a sexy smile.

He moved away giving her space to slide off the counter and go to her cellphone in the bedroom.

"Caroline," he heard Bonnie say. "Yeah, we're fine. It's just...something else happened..."

 _Something was about to happen, but you interrupted it... Great timing, Caroline._

* * *

 **I hope this chapter wasn't too much of a tease. It's been a long wait but I promise Bonnie and Enzo** ** _will_** **have their moment soon... this fic is rated M for a reason.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"So the Heretics have been staying at the Lockwood Mansion all along?" Stefan asked Enzo.

"Looks that way," Enzo replied.

"How did the Hunters even know they were there?" Stefan queried.

"I have no idea," Enzo told him. That was something that baffled Enzo too. Bonnie hadn't told anyone about the Lockwood Mansion being in her dreams until last night. Maybe the Hunters had been staking the place out, as well as any other unoccupied buildings in Mystic Falls, and they got a lucky break.

Enzo, Stefan and Caroline continued their conversation as they stood in the kitchen at the Boarding House. It was 8am. Bonnie was still asleep. After the adrenaline of last night's events wore off she started to feel the full effect of her injuries. She was healing quickly, but she needed her rest. Caroline had stayed over to 'mother' her, which Bonnie didn't seem to be too impressed with, but she was too worn out to complain.

Thoughts of him and Bonnie almost ending up in bed together, or wherever they would have ended up during their lust-fuelled close encounter, played on Enzo's mind. He still wanted to fight his feelings. But he still wanted her too.

"Lily _definitely_ knows that Damon and Stefan are _here,_ right?" Caroline asked with an anxious expression.

Enzo came out of his thoughts and responded with a nod.

"She doesn't want to see us," Stefan told her looking at the floor.

Caroline rubbed his back affectionately with a look of deep concern. Enzo was envious. No one had ever shown him support like that in his entire existence. Not even Lily.

Caroline's expression turned to one of anger and disgust. "What the hell is wrong with that woman!?"

"She suffers from an affliction called selfish-bitch-syndrome. That's what's wrong with her," Damon said to her as he strolled into the kitchen.

"Damon..." Stefan said, not impressed by his brother's description of their mother. Even if it might be true.

"She could have come back, Stefan," Damon told him.

Enzo agreed. Damon was right. Whatever reason Lily had given for never coming back to her boys, there really was no excuse. Especially now. Still, he couldn't stop himself from trying to soften the blow for the Salvatore brothers. "She said she wanted you to have a normal life, instead of traipsing around the world with two vampires and a witch siphon," he told them.

Damon cackled. "Even if that _was_ her original intention, she knows we're here now. And she still doesn't give a shit!"

Was what Lily had said about wanting her boys to have a normal life a lie so that she wouldn't seem like a complete bitch? Or did she start out with good intentions and end up allowing the resentment she felt for her husband turn into resentment for her sons too?

"If our father was such a bastard to her she should have killed the son of a bitch after she 'turned'!" Damon said angrily.

"She couldn't do that to us," Stefan said looking at his brother as if he was crazy.

"You're talking like the man was a saint," Damon scoffed.

"I know he wasn't, Damon. And yes, he was strict with us, but he never laid a hand on us," Stefan tried to reason over why Lily chose to leave them with their father.

"That's not the point." Damon sighed and shook his head. "You were his favourite son," he told Stefan.

Stefan looked at him with surprise and denial.

Damon continued speaking, "He was a narcissist. He just wanted to show us off. He was only interested in us when we could make _him_ look good, or when he was bored and needed company and entertainment. And you were always better at that than me."

Enzo could see that Stefan was getting pissed off.

"You know that's an exaggeration!" Stefan began. "Yes, he was overly proud and maybe he wasn't the warmest person, but he took care of us."

Damon shook his head with a dissaproving smirk.

"At least he was there for us... Look at Bonnie. Her Mom was gone while she was practically a baby... Her Dad was hardly ever home..." Stefan explained. Neither one of his parents was a saint but they weren't completely bad during his childhood.

"But at least Bonnie had good old Grams." Damon told him. "That's better than a father who was like a drill sergeant and a mother who was an ice queen."

"I know she was always a little distant. But wouldn't you be if your husband was beating the shit out of you on a regular basis? And I'll never forgive him for that, even if he did take care of us," Stefan admitted.

"It's still no excuse for her leaving us behind. And then look what happened... She goes from one controlling, manipulative bastard to another," Damon informed him.

"You mean Julian...?" Stefan was confused. He didn't know Julian well, but... apparently he didn't know him at all.

"You were too young. You didn't see that side of him. He always put on that charming persona, but he wasn't any better than Giuseppe. You didn't know about how he could manipulate and deceive people." Damon revealed.

Enzo wasn't surprised. He always got a bad vibe from Julian. Lily was too blind to see it. Or did she know and just not care?

"How do you think he got his money?" Damon continued. "He came from nothing. He was a conman. He was so good at deception he was able to be Giuseppe's best friend while secretly wanting to steal his wife."

The room became silent as Stefan processed what his brother was telling him.

"Did Julian and Lily have an affair?" Caroline asked in a quiet voice.

"No," Enzo confirmed. "They didn't get that... close until after Julian 'turned' her. Lily said she never looked at him as anything other than a good friend until she became a vampire."

"Did he con our Dad?" Stefan asked Damon.

"Giuseppe was too smart to let that happen. And he probably would've killed Julian," Damon explained.

Stefan changed the subject slightly. "When did you last see Lily, Enzo?" he asked.

"The day before yesterday?" Enzo told him.

"Thanks for keeping me in the loop!" Bonnie said sarcastically, as she walked into the kitchen with her arms folded. She stopped and looked at Enzo. She was majorly pissed off.

He expected her to rip into him. Instead she turned around and left the room leaving an angry vibe in her wake.

 _Shit!_ Enzo thought. He was about to go talk to her when Caroline walked towards him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'll go talk to Bonnie," she said.

Damon decided to make an exit too, and Enzo was left alone with the younger Salvatore.

#

Enzo could see that this business with Lily was eating away at Stefan. For the first time since knowing Stefan, Enzo felt empathy towards him.

"I'm sorry, Stefan. I know we're not exactly mates, but I know first-hand that being abandoned by your family is a bitch," Enzo told him.

Stefan looked at him with appreciation for the words of support and sympathy for Enzo's own situation.

"She owes us an explanation," Stefan began. "I know Damon hates her for leaving and never coming back, but... she's still my mother. She wasn't perfect, but those years she _was_ with us... she took care of us in her own way. I'm angry with her, but I'd be willing to hear what she had to say."

"I hate to say it, Stefan... but I don't think you'll ever hear what she has to say. The Lily I thought I knew was kind and caring. The woman I saw a few days ago... let's just say she has a lot of hate inside of her... I can only guess that when I first met her she hid it well."

Enzo could see the devastation in Stefan's eyes as he began to comprehend the type of person his mother really was.

"I know it's not much of a comfort, but I believe the abuse she was subjected to by Giuseppe... fucked her up big time. And she feels that seeing you and Damon would be too painful because it would remind her of everything." Enzo said to him.

"Yet she's back in Mystic Falls. The place where it all happened. To save someone elses child," Stefan said bitterly. "She blames us too. She had to stay with Giuseppe because of Damon and I, but when she was able to escape and then eventually fight back, she chose not to come back for us," Stefan rationalised sadly. "She had her humanity when you knew her didn't she?" Stefan asked Enzo with a hint of hope.

"I don't think she ever turned it off," Enzo replied regretfully.

Darkness replaced the glimmer of hope that had been in Stefan's eyes. "Then the choice she made was her own. Damon's right. She's just selfish," he concluded.

#

Bonnie sat on the bed in her room, fuming. She was pissed that Enzo had kept something from her and she knew there were probably other things he'd been keeping from her too. But what she was truly angry about was that she was putting her trust in him in the first place. She was opening up to him. She was vulnerable.

He didn't owe Bonnie anything really. Naturally she knew he would protect Lily. Bonnie just felt like she wasn't in control of her feelings anymore. Last night had proven that. If Caroline hadn't disturbed them when she did, Bonnie would be having some serious regrets right now, despite the fact that getting _that_ intimate with Enzo made her feel like she was in paradise. She didn't want to give in to him... or her feelings... but when he touched her...

She couldn't do this to herself anymore. She'd built up a tough exterior over the last 5 years of her life. But Enzo St. John was getting into her head and maybe into her heart too.

Bonnie heard a knock at the door. Caroline opened it gently before speaking.

"Are you ok?" she asked, with one of her typical Caroline Forbes, motherly looks of concern.

"Yeah," Bonnie lied.

Caroline wasn't convinced. She closed the door and sat on the bed next to Bonnie.

"I don't think Enzo kept his meeting with Lily from you to piss you off?" Caroline assured her.

"I know," Bonnie agreed. "But what else has he been keeping from me?" Bonnie said looking at Caroline.

"We'll find out," she replied, reassuring her friend with a look that said they would torture him together if that's what they needed to do to get the whole truth out of him.

Caroline's expression became contemplative as she observed just how vunearble Bonnie looked right now. "Did something happen between you two?" she asked suspiciously.

Bonnie looked at Caroline for a second then looked away guiltily. Bonnie's silence said it all.

"Look," Caroline began softly, "I know the fact that Enzo is Damon's friend doesn't help his credibility," Caroline said, getting a smile out of Bonnie. "Sure he's made some bad decisions in the past... like we all have...but deep down that's not what he's about."

Bonnie looked at her with understanding.

"He doesn't know you from Adam, but he seems to be doing a helluva lot to help you. On some level he must care about you," Caroline added.

Bonnie knew that what Caroline was saying was probably true. But she hated being in this position. She hated being vulnerable. Besides, Enzo was still protecting Lily. Bonnie was fighting against her instincts on this one. They might be telling her that Enzo was trustworthy but she wouldn't allow herself to trust him 100%. She had to protect herself. She had to protect her heart.

"This is all new to me, Care," Bonnie confessed to her friend.

"What do you mean?" Caroline said confused.

"Everything. I mean... I know I had a life... a family... friends, before I left Mystic Falls. But for the last 5 years it's pretty much just been me on my own." Bonnie explained.

"You had your cousin..." Caroline began.

Bonnie shook her head. "She was all business," she said referring to her Huntress-focused relationship with her cousin, Lucy. "This... having friends... support... people who actually give a shit about how I feel... I forgot what it felt like. And Enzo... I don't know. I never get that close to guys. Even in the few serious relationships I've had, it's like I had a wall around me. They couldn't really know who I am. I couldn't let them in."

"Well maybe it's time you started," Caroline told her. "It doesn't even have to be with Enzo," she joked, getting a slight chuckle out of Bonnie. "When I saw my boss again at the party, all he kept on talking about was you."

Bonnie smiled. "I don't know. I think for now I just need to focus on getting my Mom out of the Armory and getting rid of the Heretics."

"And what about after that?" Caroline asked her, seriously.

"I'll probably be on another mission. I'll be too busy for fun... socialising..."

"Bonnie, being a Huntress, you're always gonna be too busy. That's why you have to make time. You might have this legacy, this duty... but you're allowed to be happy too."

 _Maybe... but why do I feel like I don't deserve it?_ Bonnie asked herself considering Caroline's words.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

After a morning that felt like something out of a bad soap opera, with all of the dramatic family revelations, Damon and Enzo decided to spend the rest of their day drowning their sorrows and playing pool and darts at a new bar in Mystic Falls. Evening was approaching and they had managed not to talk about Lily for the last 2 hours.

"Let me ask you something," Enzo said to Damon.

"Fire away," Damon replied throwing a dart at the dartboard.

"Do you believe that Lily deserved to be abused by Giuseppe?" Enzo asked him.

Damon looked at him like he was a crazy person. Then again, it probably was a crazy question to ask an individual who had killed people out of boredom on more than one occasion in his existence.

Damon took a gulp of beer before considering his answer. "No," he said.

Enzo was genuinely surprised and relieved. Since Damon hated Lily so much he'd expected a slightly different answer.

Damon explained his response. "You and I both know that back then a woman couldn't just leave her husband. She had nowhere to go. Especially since her parents died not that long after she married Giuseppe." Damon took another gulp of beer. "But it doesn't change the fact that she didn't come back. Giuseppe was always a self-absorbed, insensitive bastard... and I can accept that... But Lily chose not to love us anymore. So, in the bad parenting stakes, I'd say she had him beat."

Enzo drank some of his beer too. "He really never hit you and Stefan," Enzo asked, with regard to Giuseppe's abusive tendencies.

"No," Damon answered. "He didn't have to. He was intimidating... controlling... everybody knew not to mess with him."

"Cold?" Enzo assumed.

"In a way. He was powerful. People were drawn to him, probably out of some twisted admiration. He was everybody's buddy. And he was a show off. He had to prove that he had the perfect family. Handsome, intelligent sons. Beautiful, elegant wife. Whenever he was affectionate with us or Lily it was usually just for show. He bought us things, took us out... we had treats... Lily fell for it, so did Stefan... but I knew he was just trying to impress the people on the outside. More than anything he was overbearing with me and Stefan. He wanted us to make him proud. Stefan was the obediant one... me... not so much. I was the disappointment. But I knew how far I could push him."

A bitter expression came across Damon's face. He'd obviously had a deeply frustrating relationship with his father, despising the man, but not being able to fight back in any way.

"The only time I ever stood up to him was the day after Lily left." Damon continued. "I knew what he did to her and I confronted him. He tried to manipulate me into believing she said she was gonna leave him, and that he lost his temper so she left anyway, but I wasn't stupid. I thought she was still alive, that he got sick of her and sent her away."

"How did Julian come into the picture?" Enzo asked after Damon was silent for a whiile.

"I'm not sure," Damon said. "But he was just another narcissist."

Enzo knew that for certain. Julian loved Valerie because she worshipped the ground he walked on; she thought he was her saviour, and that's how he was able to manipulate her into disliking Enzo.

"Do you think he really loves Lily?" Enzo wasn't sure what the reality of that situation was.

"Maybe," Damon said. "But he's a sly bastard. Patient with it too. He wants everything his own way, and he'll do whatever it takes to get it. After he disappeared there were more and more rumours. He'd conned people out of money, he was into gambling... stealing. There was even a theory that he manipulated a couple of women into murdering their rich husbands, then he ran off with the money and left the widows behind."

"You're being serious?" Enzo said wide eyed.

"100%," Damon said. "I wouldn't put it past him."

Enzo wouldn't put it past him either. A master manipulator. No wonder Lily fell for him. Especially after such a shitty marriage.

"Did you know Giuseppe was abusing Lily the whole time it was happening?" Enzo questioned, changing the direction of the conversation.

"Not until the day she left?" Damon answered.

"How did you not know...?" Enzo began.

"Because Giuseppe was one clever bastard," Damon told him. "He couldn't have his perfect, beautiful wife walking around with bruises on her face. He made sure he hit her in places noone would see, until the day he almost killed her. We knew she was scared of him, but we never even heard them argue. I don't think she'd even try to speak back to him anyway. The house was so big, he had plenty of space to take her wherever he wanted and..." he said, stopping before he could finish his sentence.

For the first time Damon began to show a little emotion, as if he felt sorry for his mother. And why not? No woman deserved to be beaten black and blue by her husband like that. Enzo watched him, waiting patiently to hear what else he had to say. Was his hatred for Lily starting to thaw?

Damon threw a dart so hard at the board the wall shook.

"She loved us at some point in our lives and Giuseppe broke her down. But _she_ let her hatred for him destroy that love and I'll never forgive her for that," Damon said coldly.

#

After finding some seats at the bar and downing several more shots Damon calmed down. The possible thaw in his hatred for Lily, was never going to happen. So for now that subject was closed.

"So you gonna fill me in on what the deal is with you and Bonnie?" Damon asked, back to his usual nosy self.

"No," Enzo told him firmly.

"Aw, come on. You can't live under my roof and get up to hanky panky without clueing me in on the situation," Damon persisted.

Enzo took a shot of Bourbon and rolled his eyes. "There's nothing to tell."

"That's not the way it looks," Damon told him.

Enzo looked at Damon silently for a few moments.

"We're trying not to go _there_ ," Enzo finally said referring to the sexual tension between him and Bonnie. "Plus she's beyond pissed off with me now anyway."

Bonnie had not been impressed when Enzo admitted that he found out Lily was in Mystic Falls to find one of the Heretics on the same night that Bonnie and Jeremy had captured him. He'd seen Lily 3 times since she'd arrived in Mystic Falls. The first time they couldn't talk and arranged to meet up. The second time was the night he first met Bonnie. And right now, Bonnie was giving him the cold shoulder.

"Ok... I see where you're going with this," Damon said referring to Enzo's situation with Bonnie. "The longer you try and hold out, the better it'll be when it eventually does happen. And you know that angry sex is the best sex right?" he added with a smirk.

Enzo gave him a look that said, _where do you come up with this shit?_ He shook his head at Damon and snickered before saying, "More like we hold out permanently, she leaves and then we both just get over it."

Damon laughed as if Enzo had told him the funniest joke he'd heard in months. Enzo wasn't amused.

"Ohhhkaay... Been there, tried that," Damon said to him, thinking back to his experience with Elena. "Let me give you some advice," Damon began. "Now that Bon Bon's back in Mystic Falls she's already feeling connected to her old life. Do you really believe that after all this is over she's just gonna leave here for good?" he asked Enzo. "So unless you decide to leave instead you won't be able to avoid each other. Do you really think you'll be able to keep fighting against what you want... indefinitely?"

Enzo considered Damon's words carefully. And it made him feel more anxious than he had been about anything in his life.

#

It was after midnight when Enzo and Damon returned to the Boarding House from the bar. Enzo went to his room and tried to use his vamp hearing to listen in on Bonnie but he heard nothing. He knocked on her door and then looked inside her room, but she definitely wasn't there.

He was annoyed with her too. He probably shouldn't have kept his meeting with Lily a secret or what he knew about Terina, but he was still in the middle of things and trying to decide what the best thing was to do. Whatever decisions he made affected everyone. Including himself. And where was his support?

After an hour he began to get worried. Bonnie wouldn't be crazy enough to go looking for the Heretics alone, would she? Or even try to find the Armory to get to Abby? Instead of driving himself crazy he went into the living room and played the guitar alone.

* * *

A/N: Stefan has no history with Valerie in this fic, they have never met.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It was after 2:30am when Bonnie strolled into the living room at the Boarding House.

"Where have you been?" Enzo said as he stopped playing the guitar.

"What do you care?" she said.

He could tell she was still pissed at him, but he saw a pang of regret after she'd said those words. She probably didn't mean them and had said them out of anger. But it was too late now. He'd been concerned for her and she was giving him attitude. Now she was fuelling his anger.

"Excuse me?" he replied with an aggravated expression.

"Well... since you have a habit of keeping things from me..." Bonnie answered sarcastically.

"Right..." Enzo mocked. "The fact that I'm in the middle of this with you, Lily _and_ the Armory, yet I keep putting my neck on the line to help you is irrelevant?!"

He knew that she knew he was right, but she was being stubborn.

"You kept important information from me," she said quietly but firmly.

"Because I needed to gather more information," he told her for the millionth time.

"So you keep saying," she said folding her arms tenaciously.

He was really starting to lose his cool.

"How would it have helped knowing everytime I spoke to Lily, huh? And you can't even go near the Armory, so there was no point telling you about Terina yet. I didn't even know her name until _you_ told me," he confessed.

"But what else have you been keeping from me?" she said.

Ok, he got that part of what she was saying, but he shook his head resigned to the fact that she didn't trust him.

"I've told you all I know. But frankly, the way you've been with me today, it's over the top... you don't deserve my help," he told her.

"What?" she said shocked.

He put the guitar down on the chair and stood up.

"Let's be honest here... I don't know you and you don't know me, Bonnie. You only need me for what you can get out of me. You have no consideration for how any of this impacts on me," he told her.

She looked hurt by his words, but she'd hurt him too.

"That's not true," she said guiltily.

"Really?" he scoffed.

He could see that everything was getting her down again and she wasn't happy about being called out for being ungrateful or inconsiderate. He could see that she was weary, but the fight hadn't left her yet. Her anger was returning.

"I just wanna rescue my Mom, take down the Heretics and get the hell out of here! Which part of that don't you get!? She told him.

"Oh, I get it! The sooner you get that done and leave the better!" he responded just as pissed off.

He knew he'd pushed her too far, but she'd pushed him to his limit today.

"I'm gonna go and stay with Caroline," she said turning around to leave.

He was still mad at her, but he didn't want her to go. He used vamp speed to get to her before she could walk out of the door. He caught her just in time and wrapped his hand around her wrist gently but firmly to stop her. She turned around and looked at where he was holding onto her wrist before looking into his eyes.

 _She doesn't really want to leave_ , he realised. Then, he brought her closer to him, before pushing her up against the nearest wall and kissing her senseless.

He lifted her up with his hands under her ass, then used vamp speed to carry her to his bedroom. Once the door was closed he practically threw her onto the bed and pulled off his shirt and his shoes. Bonnie followed by taking off her jacket and her t-shirt. Then Enzo climbed onto the bed to lean over her.

He kissed her on the mouth again while cupping the back of her neck. He let his tongue delve into her mouth and she accepted him, curling her tongue around his.

He sat up so he could use both hands to unfasten the button and zip on her jeans. He moved further back for a moment to remove her boots, then put his fingers into the waistband of her jeans, sliding them down her hips and thighs, all the way down her legs until they were bare. He stroked his hands up the length of her legs and slowed down a little to look at her.

 _Perfect_ , he thought.

Bonnie got up so that they were kneeling in front of each other on the bed. She ran her hands up his abs, over his chest and then across his shoulders. Then she pushed her fingers into his hair using it to pull his head down for another sensual kiss.

Enzo slid his hands down her waist and hips until he could cup her behind. He gave her ass a good squeeze and pulled her up against his erection. Bonnie broke the kiss and unbuckled his belt, dragging it out of the loopholes of his jeans in one go. She looked up at him, making quick work of the button and zip, then pulled his jeans down over the bulge in his boxers. He helped her to take them off completely.

Bonnie lay back down and Enzo returned to her, starting off by kissing his way up her thighs, until he reached her belly, where he licked his way up to her navel and circled his tongue around it. She pushed her fingers into his hair breathing heavily. Enzo kissed his way up to her breasts, brushing his mouth over the bare skin just above her bra.

They rolled over so that Bonnie was on top of him, straddling him. While she leaned down to devour his mouth again, he undid the clasp of her bra with little effort and slipped the satin material off her body. She sat up and he stared at her bare breasts for several seconds in a daze, before pulling her down so he could devour each one with his mouth. He sucked and teased each nipple, causing Bonnie to grind her pelvis into his.

He slipped a hand down her belly and into her panties. She was already soaking wet. And he was running out of patience.

Enzo rolled them over so he was on top again. He sat up, hooking his fingers into each side of her panties, peeling them off and thowing them across the room. Bonnie sat up and looked at him like she was about to enjoy the best feast of her life. She slipped her hand into his boxers and released his rock hard erection. Stroking up and down the smooth skin with her hand, she looked into his eyes. After less than 10 seconds he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled off his boxers abruptly and climbed back on top of her. He put his hand between her thighs again to check that she was still wet, teasing her slick folds for a little while he kissed her on the mouth.

A tiny little voice in his head told him again that he shouldn't be doing this, so mentally he gave the voice the finger and thought _fuck you!_ before getting ready to enter paradise.

Enzo lifted his head and looked into Bonnie's eyes for any sign that she wasn't ready for this. She was dazed, but she knew what she was doing. She wrapped her hand around his erection and began to guide it to her entrance so that Enzo could do what he'd wanted to do from day one of knowing her. As he slipped inside her he felt as if he was going to combust. She let out a sexy but soft moan, and he joined her, groaning as the pleasure hit him like lightening.

Bonnie wrapped her legs around his back and held on tight as he slipped in and out of her. He couldn't go as slowly as he wanted to because the wait had fucked with his head. But he'd make it up to her. He kissed her on the mouth again and stroked her face while they matched each others rhythm, their sounds of pleasure mingling together.

Enzo moved a hand under her ass to bring her closer and she wrapped her legs around him even more tightly. He was falling for her. He knew it. This was exactly what he didn't want to happen. But it was too late. And right now, he didn't care.

Bonnie moaned into his mouth and the sound turned him on even more. He needed for her to climax first so he started to grind into her pelvis, making contact with her clit. Her breathing became quicker and her heartbeat started racing. Her moans became longer. When her breaths were out of control he knew she was about to climax. She let out a long, beautiful moan as the orgasm took over her body. She tensed up, then started shuddering, before her body relaxed.

Enzo stopped holding back and let himself experience the most amazing orgasm of his life. _Holy shit!_ he thought. He looked down at the amazing woman who had given him such intense pleasure, and saw that she was fast asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Bonnie woke up and tried to stretch, but realized that she was trapped. _What the hell?_ she thought as she looked around the room that wasn't hers before it all came back to her. Enzo was wrapped around her from behind like a big sexy blanket. And apparently one part of him was already up Bonnie noticed as she felt his morning erection straining against her behind.

"Having regrets already?" Enzo said in a groggy voice, making her jump. She thought he was asleep.

"Yes and no," she admitted honestly, trying escape from his embrace, but he was being playful and wouldn't release her.

She was strong enough to break free but eventually he gave up, kissed her on the back of her head and let her go so she could sit up in bed, while he lay there and looked up at her.

She looked down at him. _Damn he is sexy in the morning. And I must look like shit!_ she thought. But the way he was looking at her as if she was the most desirable woman in the world told a different story. He was clearly ready for round two. _Not gonna happen_ , Bonnie thought. Until Enzo started stroking her bare arm with backs of his fingers.

"I don't regret sleeping with you," she began. "It's just... what we're doing... it's like Dracula doing the deed with Van Helsing."

Enzo chuckled. "Unless you're hiding a really big secret about what gender you were born into this _nothing_ like Dracula _doing the deed_ with Van Helsing," he told her.

"You know what I mean," she said rolling her eyes. "Vampire... Huntress..."

"It's not forbidden," he argued humourously.

"But it's taboo," she countered.

"Isn't that part of the appeal?" he said.

 _Yes it is. Smart ass_ , she thought, but rolled her eyes again instead of speaking.

"So...?" he said, waiting for her to decide what the next step was in their... involvement.

"So... you have to go to work. And... I guess I have more research to do," she told him.

He chuckled again, shaking his head. "That's it?"

She raised her eyebrows in a _what more do you want me to say?_ expression. Enzo shook his head again and sat up next to Bonnie.

"You're gonna pretend like this never happened, aren't you?" he said with a smirk.

"I..." Bonnie began.

"Don't say anything," he said with an amused smile.

She looked at him expecting him to say somehing more but he just watched her silently.

"Ok," she said. She was about to get out of bed but remembered that she was naked.

"What?" Enzo asked her, confused by her stalling.

"My clothes," she said looking at him.

"What about 'em?" he said folding his arms.

"There not on me," she told him bluntly.

"And...?" he said.

Her look told him she wanted some privacy. He rolled his eyes and gave her a sly grin.

"You do realize I saw everything last night, don't you?" he told her.

"Exactly, you've had your fill," she responded.

He leaned in close to her and said into her ear, "Nowhere near, love."

She turned to him with a not impressed look on her face. The teasing was kind of funny, but the whole vampire/Huntress issue was no joke and it was something they'd have to deal with later.

"Alright..." he said with a sigh, about to get up and go into his en-suite bathroom to give her some privacy.

"Hold on," she said, stopping him by putting her hand on his arm.

He sat back down and looked at her. "Yeah?" he said.

She looked at him sincerely. "I know you're already doing more than enough for me and I'm more than grateful. But if you get the chance to check on my Mom today can you find out why she left Mystic Falls?"

"Sure," he told her.

"I've been so focused on getting her out of the Armory, I stopped thinking about why she disappeared in the first place," Bonnie told him.

Enzo nodded. "I understand," he said stroking her hair with his hand. He gave her a sweet smile then got up to go to the bathroom.

Bonnie watched him, admiring the beautiful masculine lines of his body. _Don't fall in love with him_ , she told herself. The problem was...maybe it was already too late.

#

"How are you today?" Enzo asked Abby, speaking to her from the intercom outside of her 'room'.

"No different from the last time you saw me," she answered sassily, but clearly pleasantly surprised to see him.

Luckily for him Alex was in New York, business as usual, so he was free to do some more investigating. Well, until someone interrupted him to get him to do some actual work.

"New book?" he asked her seeing that she was sitting on the bed reading once again.

"Yeah. _'Of Mice and Men',_ " she informed him.

"That one I have read," he told her.

"Me too."

"Yeah? Did not see that ending coming," he stated humourously.

Abby smiled at him. _Now to get on to serious business_ , he thought.

"Why did you leave Mystic Falls 20 years ago, Abby?" he asked her.

Her face dropped and she tensed up like a brand new rubber band.

"Why do you need to know that?" she said suspiciously.

"I can't explain it here... but it's important... more than you know," he told her.

Her stress levels visually increased. It was much more than a sense of being uncomfortable.

"I don't wanna..." Abby began.

"Please... Abby?" he pleaded. If it was important to Bonnie, it was important to him.

She looked away from him deep in thought for several seconds. Then she finally looked at him and spoke.

"I left because... I killed someone," she said looking away again.

"What...?" Enzo didn't understand what she was saying. She was a Huntress, so yes she did kill vampires.

Abby looked at him again. "I was on a hunt. It was for a vampire who never managed to get his bloodlust under control after the transition," Abby stood up and started walking around the room. "He had some weird obsession with the number four. Every night he'd target houses with the number four. He'd get into the house and feed on whoever was there. He'd go to different towns, cities, even different states. Then he ended up in Mystic Falls."

Abby finally stood still in front of the glass separating her and Enzo before she continued.

"I was supposed to be in the house before he got there, but I didn't make it in time. When I did get there he was almost at the top of the stairs. It was dark, but he turned and looked right at me and I knew it was him. I took a shot... but he used vamp speed to get out of the way. He escaped without feeding on anybody, but there was a little girl behind him right at the top of the stairs..."

The look of devastation on Abby's face shook him to his core.

"She wasn't supposed to be there. She wasn't in my dream... but I should have sensed that she was there. I was so determined to get my target, I'd been after him for months. I had tunnel vision. And because of _my_ fuck up, a little girl lost her life."

Enzo knew he would never be a parent, so he could only imagine the guilt Abby felt, knowing that she had just killed someone elses child while her own daughter was waiting for her to come home.

"She was six years old," Abby informed him. "She'd snuck downstairs in the middle of the night to get cookies. They were next to her on the floor at the top of the stairs."

Abby started pacing around the room again with a look of deep torment on her face.

"The stake went right through her chest. When her mother came out of the bedroom," Abby shook her head, lost in her memories. "That scream... I could feel her devastation, but I was frozen. I couldn't do anything to help. When the father came out and saw her too, I realized I had to get out of there. So I ran."

Abby went back to sit on the edge of the bed and looked at Enzo.

"I didn't sleep for days. I debated handing myself in to the police... I should have. But I was selfish. I'd already destroyed one family, but I couldn't hurt the people I loved too if they found out what I did."

 _She'd prefer for them to think she was dead, than to know that she'd killed a child. And she didn't want them to suffer the backlash from the child's family.. the media... or angry citizens if she was found out and convicted,_ Enzo understood.

"I was a fugitive for years. They didn't know who I was. But the mother saw my face when it happened, so I had to leave Mystic Falls. The case went cold, but I was so ashamed I felt like I couldn't come back. I had to though. I needed to be here... but then these people got me instead," she said referring to the Armory. "I thought they were law enforcement at first but I'm pretty sure they don't know what I did... I came back for nothing."

 _It wasn't for nothing. You wanted to be here for Bonnie. You wanted to help her through her transition into a Huntress, but the Armory ruined your plan, and they ruined yours and Bonnie's lives. Ruining lives seems to be what they do best,_ Enzo considered bitterly. He wished he could get her out of there right now, to give her and Bonnie peace of mind. But they wouldn't make it off the fourth floor before they were detected by security. So he'd try something else to comfort her.

" _She's_ ok," he said.

"What?" Abby asked confused.

" _She's ok_ ," he repeated.

Enzo didn't know if she would understand him. All he could do was hope that the powerful Huntress intuition would kick in and help her to get what he was saying. He really didn't want to say Bonnie's name in this place, just in case.

Abby took a few more moments to decipher his words. "How do you know...?"

 _Yes, she understood. "_ Trust me," he implored her.

Abby's intuition was clearly in full force as she replied, "Keep her safe."

"I will. But to be honest she doesn't need much help," he told her with a smile.

And that was what caused Abby to shed the first tear. Not describing the horrific event that had changed hers and others lives. No, she'd probably cried plenty of tears and she'd had to learn to live with what she'd done. It was knowing that her daughter was obviously someone to be proud of. That was what brought out even more emotion right now.

"I have to go," Enzo said.

Abby wiped away the tear roughly and nodded.

"Stay sane and stay healthy," he told her.

She nodded and smiled at him, watching again as he walked away from her down the corridor.

#

Bonnie walked into the kitchen at the Boarding House. Enzo had left for work hours ago and she was ready to start on more research after her caffeine fix of Cherry Cola. Stefan greeted her with a smile and Damon just looked at her like she was an alien. _What the hell?_ she thought returning his strange look.

Bonnie got her drink from the fridge. She opened the can and poured it into a glass. Damon was still giving her that weird look.

"So you and Enzo made up?" Damon said to her.

 _Here we go_ , she thought. "We talked," she told him, not giving anything away.

"What I heard last night didn't sound like talking, but-" Damon started.

"Unless you want me to revoke what I said about you being safe from me staking you in the middle of the night I suggest you stop talking right now," she warned him.

Damon left the room silently with an amused look on his face.

Bonnie drank her soda and sighed.

"Don't listen to Damon," Stefan told her. "What you choose to do in the privacy of your room is your business. Damon's just jealous cos he has to sleep alone now Elena's gone."

"I'm sure that's not entirely true," she said referring to Stefan's last statement. "But... you heard us too didn't you?" Bonnie said mortified.

Stefan looked down and Bonnie looked away completely embarrassed. Then something else dawned on her.

"Please tell me Caroline didn't stay over as well last night?" she pleaded.

"No," Stefan answered. "She went home early yesterday to prepare for work."

Bonnie sighed with relief.

"This isn't me," Bonnie said shaking her head.

"What'd you mean?" Stefan asked her.

"Hooking up with a guy I've known for less than a week," she told him.

"I get the impression this is more than hooking up... for both of you," he told her honestly.

She knew that was the truth.

"Whatever it is, it's not right," she said.

Stefan gave her a clueless look.

"Vampire... Huntress..." she indicated.

Stefan nodded in understanding. "Well, I can't judge. Look at me and Elena..." he said referring to the human/vampire relationship. "Then Damon and Elena," he added.

"True," Bonnie agreed. "But Elena didn't have a duty to exterminate your kind."

"Your duty isn't to kill all of us," Stefan reminded her.

Bonnie shook her head again. She was torn. "It's still weird," she said, even though being with Enzo actually felt 100% right.

"Is there some supernatural law that says you can't get involved with a vampire?" Stefan asked curious.

"Not that I know of," Bonnie confirmed.

"Then what's the real problem?" Stefan asked her.

Bonnie looked away and then down at the floor.

"You're afraid of your feelings," Stefan observed.

She didn't confirm it, but when she looked at him he could see it in her eyes.

"Life's too short, Bonnie," he told her. "Don't be so stubborn that you miss out on a genuine opportunity to be happy. I've had my issues with Enzo in the past, but if there's anything he's shown us time and time again it's that when he cares about someone, he's one of the most loyal and protective people you could ever know."

Stefan was right. Enzo barely knew her and he was putting himself at risk for her. What was she doing for him in return? What if he got hurt, or worse, because of her. Bonnie started to panic. _Why do I have to care so much about him?_ she wondered.

At the very least, once her mission was over she could find a way to help him find out the truth about his family. Maybe Alaric could help if she got in touch with him, he was good at that stuff.

Stefan smiled at Bonnie and rubbed her shoulder before exiting the room, leaving her to think about the possibility of a future with Enzo.

* * *

 **I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I know Bonnie and Enzo have taken what seems like forever to finally get together, but there are so many issues to cover, so I hope it was worth it.**

 **What do you think of the interaction between each of the characters so far? What do you think of the revelations? Is there anything that doesn't make sense?**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Bonnie sat at the kitchen table at the Boarding House. It was early afternoon and she was still trying to make sense of the information she was viewing on the laptop. She was too distracted to be doing research, but there wasn't much else she could do until Enzo came back from the Armory with news on Abby and the reason behind her disappearance from Mystic Falls when Bonnie was 3 years old.

Bonnie shut down the laptop, deciding to go for a walk to burn off some of her restless energy. As she picked her cellphone up from the table a text message came through. It was Jeremy again.

 **Jeremy:** _I REALLY need to talk to you. Call me._

Bonnie chose to ignore the message. Jeremy had already tried to call her the morning after the explosion at the Lockwood Mansion. Bonnie hadn't answered then, so he'd left her a voicemail message and a text message, both of which she had also ignored. While she was relieved that he was ok, she still wouldn't risk making contact with him. He probably knew she was still at the Salvatore Boarding House and would come knocking at the door at some point, but Bonnie would cross that bridge when she came to it. Besides, something told her that her ex was a little bit concerned about getting his ass kicked by her after the way things went down when she left him at the Gilbert House, which might be enough to deter him.

Bonnie decided to try and call her Dad again before going for her walk. It was probably a waste of time since he never answered, but it was something to help pass the time. The phone rang 6 times before Bonnie's Dad answered the call.

"Look, I don't know who this is, but if you're gonna keep calling me from an unknown number at least leave me a message to let me know who you-"

"It's me, Dad," Bonnie interrupted her father's rant.

"Bonnie... You changed your number again?" Rudy Hopkins asked his daughter.

"Yeah. I shoulda left a message, but you know how I am," she answered.

"Is everything ok?" Rudy asked.

"Yeah... Well, yes and no," Bonnie told him.

"What's wrong?" he said concerned.

"It's better if we talk face to face. I'm in Mystic Falls."

"I'm actually just on my way back into Mystic Falls right now. How soon do you want to meet?" he queried.

"As soon as possible," she told him. _Why delay the inevitable?_ she thought to herself.

"Ok. Come home. I'll be there within the hour. See you soon," he said.

"Ok, bye Dad."

"Bye."

Hopefully Jeremy Gilbert wasn't staking the place out, waiting for her to make an appearance so that he could take advantage of her Huntress abilities again.

#

Rudy was home before Bonnie arrived there. She'd purposely taken her time. _Home?_ Bonnie considered. Her Dad's house hadn't felt like home anymore long before she left Mystic Falls. Her relationship with her Dad was a weird one. She knew he cared about her, but the emotional distance between them was still an issue. Maybe that could change eventually. Bonnie didn't plan on telling him about Abby just yet, but she'd see how things went once they got talking.

Rudy must have been watching her from the window because he opened the front door before she could even knock it. He didn't say a word for half a minute as his daughter stood in front of him. A mixture of emotions swept across his face as he took her in from head to toe.

At first it was almost as if he had seen a ghost. What he saw was a powerful reminder of how his wife looked not long before she disappeared. The look on his face also said that he'd missed his daughter, but he didn't really know who she was. He had the urge to embrace her, but the way she looked at him awkwardly deterred him. Instead he gave Bonnie a warm smile and gestured for her to join him inside the house.

"Come in," he told her.

#

Bonnie looked around the house like a stranger in someone elses home. The place hadn't changed much and neither had her Dad. He looked the same. His big, soulful, serious eyes still looked at her as if he really didn't know how to be around her.

Bonnie looked at the pictures of her family on the walls and on the fireplace. There were photographs of her, Grams, her Dad, her Mom...

"You look even more like her now," Rudy commented, referring to the picture of Abby that Bonnie was staring at. "Apart from the purple hair..." he added with a little sarcastic humour.

Bonnie gave him a little smile. She'd been waiting to see how long it would take him to comment on that.

Rudy brought two glasses of soda into the living room and placed them on the coffee table. They sat opposite each other on the chairs, awkwardly waiting for the other to speak.

"How long are you here for?" Rudy asked breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure," Bonnie answered, picking up the glass of soda and taking a sip.

"What brought you back here?" Rudy queried, sensing that it was Huntress business rather than nostalgia.

"I can't go into detail... but I'm on a mission," Bonnie informed him.

She noticed the look of disappointment on her Dad's face, before it disappeared and was replaced by his impersonal, professional persona. She didn't really blame him for his reaction. Although they'd kept in contact over the last 5 years, Bonnie hadn't seen him since she'd left Mystic Falls. And she hadn't exactly made an effort to see him. Even on the few occasions that he'd offered to pay for her plane ticket to come home. Or when he'd suggested they meet up as he was on a business trip just outside of California.

Things had gotten to a point where Bonnie had convinced herself that as long as she spoke to him at least a once a month and they each knew the other was ok, it was enough. Because she preferred that to being around him and feeling how strained things were between them.

"Where have you been staying?" Rudy asked Bonnie.

"At the Salvatore Boarding House," she informed him.

A confused look came across Rudy's face. He knew of the Salvatore brothers and he only discovered that they were vampires when Bonnie's transition into a Huntress began.

"It's a long story," Bonnie began to explain. "But there's someone there who's helping me with my mission," _And to get my Mom back_ , Bonnie thought, resisting the urge to say it out loud.

"Good," Rudy replied genuinely. "Maybe if your Mom had help to do what she was doing she'd still be here," he said sadly with a hint of bitterness. "Better still if she'd just stopped..."

"Dad... She couldn't just stop being a Huntress... and neither can I," Bonnie told him.

Technically she could stop hunting, if she tried really hard. But that wouldn't stop the dreams. Or the powerful urge to do the right thing by stopping those vampires from killing more people.

"I know," Rudy admitted. "But I hate that this is your life. I hate that it was your Mom's life and that it's probably what took her away from us."

Bonnie could see that her Dad's feelings over losing Abby were still raw, even though it was so long ago. As much as he tried to hide his feelings over the years, the emotion in his eyes often gave him away. Bonnie didn't know what to say to comfort him.

"You're my daughter and I love you... even if I haven't said it enough-"

"Why are you saying this now?" Bonnie interrupted, feeling uneasy that he was opening up to her after years of hardly any displays of affection.

"Because it's been 5 years since I saw you," he told her firmly. "I worry about you 24/7. I didn't even know if I'd get to see you again... You look so much like her... you've always been the biggest reminder of what I lost."

"Is that why you've been so cold towards me practically my whole life?" Bonnie responded cynically.

She may have been exaggerating slightly, but their relationship was definitely not a typical, loving father/daughter relationship.

"Yes. And I'm sorry," Rudy assured her.

Bonnie couldn't help her look of surprise. Hearing Grams tell her that her father's emotional distance was a coping mechanism was one thing. But having him admit it to her face was another.

"I hated your Mom being a Huntress. She didn't even tell me what she was until we were having you," Rudy confessed. "I worried about her _all_ the time... and I was always worried that somehow you'd get caught up in the crossfire. That maybe someone she was hunting would get to you to hurt her. We used to fight about it all the time... And she promised me that she'd always do _everything_ she could to protect you."

Her Dad had led such a stressful life. Bonnie hadn't really realized just how much hers and Abby's legacy had affected her Dad before.

"I hate to admit it," Rudy continued, "...but maybe a year or so after your Mom went missing I felt a sense of relief."

Bonnie stared at him confused.

"I still missed your Mom," he explained. "And I was still angry about her not being here... but I wasn't on edge like I was all those nights she was out on a hunt while I was waiting for her to come home. And I didn't have to worry about you getting caught up in the middle of things... Until you transistioned too."

Bonnie couldn't believe he'd kept all of this to himself for so long. She thought he'd just decided to shut his feelings down after Abby disappeared.

"In a way you moving to California was easier than you being here," he told her. "It didn't stop me from worring about you. But if you were here I'd be checking up on you 24/7... practically having a heart attack every time you walked out the door to go on a hunt."

Rudy was showing his daughter more emotion than she remembered seeing from him throughout her whole life. She wasn't sure how to react. It gave her a sense of comfort, but it also left her feeling vulnerable again, and she was still struggling with that emotion.

"How did she keep it a secret from you for so long?" Bonnie asked, changing the subject slightly. "I mean you were with her for years before you had me, right?"

Rudy chuckled slightly as he reminisced. "You know how you worked with victims of domestic abuse?"

Bonnie nodded.

"Your Mom did too, as a volunteer once she graduated from college. Sometimes she'd use it as a cover when she had to hunt. She'd say that there was an emergency with one of the women and that she was on call. I had no reason to question her. She was always trying to help people. Like you," he told her.

Rudy smiled at her proudly and Bonnie blushed slightly. She wasn't used to this warmer side of her Dad and she was so tempted to tell him about Abby. But she didn't want to get him excited and risk giving him false hope. The reality of the situation was that something could go wrong and that would devastate him even more. It was better to wait until she got Abby out of the Armory safely before telling him she was alive.

"I'm sorry I stayed away so long," Bonnie told him sincerely.

"It's ok. We all make mistakes," he replied.

And he was right. His mistake was distancing himself from his only child because he couldn't cope with his emotions when he'd lost his wife. Bonnie had distanced herself from everyone when she transitioned, believing that she had to do everything alone, not getting close to anyone anymore. They needed to heal, and hopefully if Bonnie was able to rescue Abby they could eventually complete the healing process.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

It was 2:30pm, and for whatever reason Alex was in a generous mood and had decided to let Enzo leave the Armory early for the day. As he made his way out of the building to go to his car he saw Joshua.

"She let you out early too?" Enzo asked him, seeing that he was also walking towards his car.

Joshua sniggered and shook his head.

"What happened?" Enzo asked seeing that Joshua was obviously pissed off.

"Long story," Joshua told him.

 _So much for that generous mood_ , Enzo thought as he gestured for them to keep walking so they could talk properly, a little further away from the building.

#

"She's having major side effects from the medication and the chemo," Joshua explained to Enzo, updating him on the setbacks with his wife's cancer treatment. "She was doing good for so long and now..." he shook his head negatively, stress evident on his face. "Then that _bitch_ tells me if I take anymore time off she's gonna have to _'let me go'!_ I know she's your family but was she born without a heart?!"

"It's possible, mate," Enzo told the man, who smirked in response to his sarcasm.

The possibility of Alex firing Joshua concerned Enzo for more than one reason. Aside from the fact that the man needed his job like a dehydrated runner needed water, there had been rumours of people disappearing after they were fired from the Armory. The information the place held was too valuable and that's why Alex kept a lot of it to herself.

Months ago Enzo himself had been given the task of compelling a few people to forget what they knew about the place, and even Alex's name, once they'd been fired. But he wouldn't put it past her to ensure that the Armory kept its undercover status by permanently silencing former employees. Of course that was the messy option, so he couldn't imagine she'd go down that route often.

Enzo really sympathized with Joshua and he suspected that one way or another Alex would probably fire him eventually. So an idea came to mind.

"I'm sorry you're going through all this, and I know it's a completely inappropriate time to bring this up, but I promise you whatever happens, I'll make sure you and your family are taken care of..." Enzo assured him.

"Ok..." Joshua replied. He already trusted Enzo so he was willing to hear him out.

"How much do you know about security within the Armory?" Enzo asked him.

"More than everyone realizes," he scoffed. "Alex thinks she has one of the most sophisticated systems in place, but with my IT and military knowledge it's nothing special. Why?"

"Some friends of mine are in trouble, thanks to my wonderful cousin and the Armory. I need some help getting to them," he told Joshua.

Joshua contemplated Enzo's predicament for a few moments. "Whatever you need, man," he finally replied. He was up for anything that would piss Alex off, especially if his family would be looked after too, because Alex sure as hell didn't give two shits about them.

Enzo nodded. "Appreciate it. So what do you know about explosives...?" he enquired.

#

When Bonnie got back to the Boarding House Enzo was already there, waiting for her in the living room.

"Hey," she greeted him. "You're home early." _Okay... that felt weirdly domestic_ , she thought.

"Yeah, something's up with Alex," Enzo told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked puzzled.

"She let me leave early," he replied with a smirk.

"Oh," Bonnie said giving him a weak smile in return.

Bonnie looked away distracted. Enzo sensed that something was up.

"What's wrong?" he asked her with a worried expression.

She took a deep breath before answering. "I went to see my Dad... Things got a little heavy...".

"You ok?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I'm just surprised... My Dad isn't the _cold_ person I thought he was."

"That's a good thing," he asserted, since Bonnie seemed bemused by whatever had happened with her Dad.

"Yeah," she responded eventually. "Anyway, how'd things go today?' Bonnie inquired, sitting down next to Enzo on the couch.

"I achieved a lot," he answered.

She raised her brows waiting for answers.

"Well... I heard something about the Hunters. Five of them suffered minor injuries. The others are still in hospital. Two are in intensive care. The Heretics escaped and they're under the radar again," he explained, relaying what he'd heard using his vamp hearing to eavesdrop while he was at the Armory.

Bonnie shook her head sadly. "They're not immune to magic like a Huntress is. I don't know why they thought they'd stand a chance against the Heretics again."

"Not a bad idea using explosives though... The Heretics must have spotted them before they could use them effectively."

"True. But I'm not even sure if explosives would kill them," Bonnie suggested.

"You don't think being blown to pieces would kill them?" Enzo queried.

"Who knows. They seem to be at the top of their magical game. They probably have some kind of superior protection spell," she answered.

"But even that wouldn't have any effect on you during hand to hand combat would it? Since you're immune to magic."

"True," Bonnie replied nodding.

"Anyway," Enzo continued. "I have an ally who can help us get past security, so we can get Abby and I can talk to Terina," Enzo revealed.

"That's great," Bonnie said more positively.

"He has his own shit going on, but he's working on things for us. So it should be a matter of days before we can get moving," he added.

Bonnie smiled at him with deep appreciation. Then Enzo's expression became serious and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Why did she leave?" Bonnie asked, realizing that the shift in Enzo's demeanour was a sign that he knew the reason behind Abby's disappearance.

He looked at her for a few seconds before answering. "An innocent person died while she was trying to kill a vampire."

Bonnie's forehead creased in anger. "She left Mystic Falls and _never_ came back because of that!"

Bonnie was sorry for the person that had died, but the sad reality was sometimes innocents lost their lives during a hunt when a Huntress couldn't stop her target in time. As far as she was concerned it wasn't a good enough reason for Abby to abandon her family.

"It was a child, Bonnie," Enzo told her. "Abby killed a six year old girl. She was aiming for a vampire, he got out of the way and the girl was behind him."

Bonnie's eyes widened in shock and she almost felt her heart stop as the severity of what had happened sunk in. Her Dad had always worried that she'd get caught up in the crossfire of Abby's legacy, but instead someone elses child had.

"She tried to come back before your transition, but the Armory caught her during a hunt before she could make it back to you."

Bonnie was speechless.

"She wanted to hand herself in to the authorities, but she wanted to protect you. She didn't want you to suffer the backlash if she was found out. She didn't want you to know what she did," Enzo said to her.

Bonnie still couldn't say a word. Enzo put his hand on her shoulder gently. He let his hand slide down her arm to her hand, and then he took her hand in his, rubbing her palm with his thumb. She looked at him blankly for several seconds then stood up.

"I... I'll be back," she said in a quiet voice before leaving the room.

#

Thirty minutes later Bonnie returned from a walk around the grounds of the Boarding House. She was overwhelmed by an array of emotions. _Sadness_ that a child had died. _Relief_ that Abby hadn't abandoned her family. _Dismay_ at why Abby thought it was better for her family to come to the conclusion that she was dead, than to know that she'd accidently killed someone. And _compassion_ for the guilt her mother must still feel over what she'd done.

Bonnie entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, opening the laptop, which was exactly where she had left it. Enzo stood near the central island in the kitchen drinking a glass of blood.

"Bonnie," he said, putting the glass down and moving to stand beside her seat at the table.

"One minute," she responded.

Bonnie took a few minutes to find what she was looking for. The archived article described the little girl's death as a _'tragic killing that had no motive'_. Her killer was described as _'evil and psychotic'_. Bonnie couldn't read the rest so she scrolled down to a picture of the child.

"Oh my God...!" she said stunned.

Enzo leaned in closer towards the laptop. "She looks like you," he said, shocked too.

"Yeah..." Bonnie responded.

"You're not related are you?" he asked.

"Her name is Marissa Scott. I don't have any relatives with that surname," Bonnie explained.

The girl had dark, curly hair that was shorter than Bonnie's was at that age. She had similar features with eyes that were brown instead of green, and a paler complexion. She and Bonnie looked like they could have been cousins. But there was no familial connection. The similarity in their appearance was just an eerie coincidence.

"My Dad always told my Mom that he was worried I'd get hurt because she was a Huntress. Between that and this little girl looking like me, she must have been close to feeling like she'd killed her own child," Bonnie told him gravely.

Enzo looked at Bonnie as she scanned another article. Knowing Abby, Bonnie's theory was probably right.

"This says where she's buried. I have to go there," Bonnie insisted.

"Is that really a good idea?" Enzo asked her.

"I need to pay my respects," she replied.

"What if the parents are there?" he said.

"Then I'll wait," she told him. "My Mom is the reason she's not here anymore. It's the least I can do."

"I'll come with you then," Enzo asserted.

"No," she objected.

"I'm coming," he told her firmly.

Bonnie didn't bother to argue with him and they left together to visit Marissa Scott's grave.

#

It was warm, sunny and peaceful at the cemetary. Bonnie had been standing in front of Marissa's grave for the last few minutes. Enzo was taking in his surroundings, until he heard Bonnie speak.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," she said staring at the grave. "I'm sorry your family had to go through this. I wish they could understand that it was an accident and that the person responsible would never do anything to hurt you intentionally."

Enzo placed his hand on Bonnie's lower back, moving it in slow, soothing circles. She turned to look at him, grateful that he was there.

"Ok," she said with a sigh before she got too emotional. "Let's go."

"Sure?" Enzo asked her sympathetically.

"Yeah," she said taking one last look at the grave.

#

As they climbed into the car Bonnie began to talk. "She couldn't even explain to them that it was an accident."

Enzo looked at her waiting for her to elaborate.

"They'd think she was crazy. Can you imagine my Mom going to that girl's parents and trying to tell them that their child died because she missed her target during a vampire hunt?" Bonnie said dismally.

"They _all_ would have died if Abby wasn't there," Enzo told her to try and offer a little comfort.

"I'm sure they all did die... inside... I imagine her parents must have felt like their lives were over when they lost her," Bonnie told him. "And here I am acting like I can't have a life just because being a Huntress is my priority. That needs to change. _Now_."

Enzo looked at her not knowing what else to say. Bonnie took out her cellphone and made a call.

"Caroline," she began. "What are you doing later...?"

Bonnie would allow herself to mourn for a little while longer today, but when the evening came she'd see if she could find a way to show a little appreciation for her life, and make the most of it while she still could.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Stefan, Caroline, Damon, Bonnie and Enzo stood around the central worktop in the kitchen at the Salvatore Boarding House. Bonnie handed everyone a glass of bourbon and they waited patiently for her to speak. She looked at Enzo, who gave her a reassuring gaze before she broke the silence.

"I found out today why my Mom left Mystic Falls 20 years ago," she began.

She had everyone's undivided attention as she continued to speak.

"She was hunting a vampire... but she missed her target. She didn't know there was a little girl behind him... and the stake hit the girl instead... she died."

"Oh God, Bonnie...! I'm sorry," Caroline said stunned.

Stefan and Damon stood silently shocked.

"She left Mystic Falls to protect me and she tried to come back... but the Armory got her," Bonnie continued. She raised her glass. "I wanna drink to the memory of the little girl that died _and_ her family. And to the memory of the Huntresses who died because of the Armory. They were someones' daughters too. I hope they all find peace."

Everyone raised their glasses and downed the bourbon.

"So what is this, an impromptu wake?" Damon asked. "Cause I think you'r a little over-dressed for that," he said, referring to Bonnie's outfit, which was more clubwear than funeral-wear.

 _Trust you to bring sarcasm to a serious situation Damon Salvatore!_ Bonnie thought, not exactly ungrateful for Damon's brand of humour right now.

"Yeah, I'm a little confused," Caroline said. "Are you sure you wanna go out tonight after finding this out today?"

"Strangely enough, yeah, I do," Bonnie told her. "I haven't exactly come to terms with it, but that's gonna take time. And I don't know how mush of that I have."

Enzo looked at her with a _Don't be so morbid!_ expression on his face. Bonnie smirked at him then turned back to Caroline.

"The Heretics are the most powerful targets I've ever had... I have to be realistic... I might not be able to kill them... I might not survive this fight," Bonnie explained.

Enzo and Caroline shared a worried look.

"You have us to help you," Stefan said reassuringly.

"I really appreciate that. But it might not be enough," she told him seriously. "Anyway, thanks to Enzo, we're closer to getting my Mom, and hopefully I won't end up being the Armory's next experiment," Bonnie said half joking and half serious. "Shit's about to go down and I wanted to just enjoy life a little before that happens... make some happy memories."

Caroline smiled at Bonnie, glad that her friend finally realized that being a Huntress didn't mean she had to sacrifice her own happiness.

"I have a lot to be grateful for," Bonnie continued. "My Mom is still alive, she didn't abandon me," she said looking at Stefan and Damon sympathetically since their mother had abandoned them. "And my Dad cares about me a lot more than I realized," she added, looking at Enzo this time, since he didn't even know what the deal was with his family.

"Are you going soft on us Bonnie the vampire slayer?" Damon joked as she was more emotional than usual.

She smirked at him. "Tough Bonnie is here to stay, and that's something you'll find out if you keep pushing me. Maybe you should sleep with one eye open," she warned him, enjoying their banter. "Ok... let's go then," she said to everyone.

And they left the Boarding House to try and make some of those happy memories that Bonnie talked about.

#

Damon and Enzo introduced the others to the new bar in Mystic Falls that they'd been to the day before. One of the up and coming DJs from Caroline's radio station was playing a set there to try and drum up some business on the bar's quietest night of the week. The music that was playing had a throwback theme, with tracks from the 90s up to the present day.

The bar wasn't packed, but it was full enough to have an energetic atmosphere. Caroline and Bonnie had been on the dancefloor for the last 45 minutes, while Stefan, Damon and Enzo stood by the bar.

Enzo was seeing a side of Bonnie that he hadn't truly seen before. Her fun side. She was genuinely enjoying herself, dancing with her childhood friend as if she wasn't preparing to go to battle with a group of century old vampire-witch-siphons, and a powerful supernatural organisation. He admired her strength, and seeing how she was handling Abby's situation made him feel like he was falling for her even more.

She looked every bit like the sexy bad girl tonight, dressed all in black with deep red lipstick. She kept on glancing at him while she danced, and the temptation to throw her over his shoulder so they could go home for some naked, adult fun was driving him crazy.

Bonnie was wearing low rise, black skinny jeans with stiletto ankle boots that had a pointed toe. Her cropped, black top was see-thru and long sleeved, with a bandeau top underneath it to cover her breasts. A silver belly chain adorned her waist and glimmered every time she moved. Her curly hair was down with a middle parting, and she wore the dream-catcher earrings that she had on at Caroline's event at the park.

The girls stopped dancing and returned to the guys at the bar. Caroline threw her arms around Stefan and gave him a kiss that was a little too intimate for company. Damon looked at them like he was going to throw up and Bonnie and Enzo shared and amused smile.

Stefan and Caroline began to chat between themselves. Seeing Bonnie and Enzo sharing flirtatious glances, Damon decided to make himself scarce instead of being a fifth wheel.

Bonnie ordered 6 shots of tequila.

"Are you planning to drink all of those yourself?" Enzo quipped.

"If no one else wants them, sure," Bonnie told him cheekily.

"How many is that for you now?" he asked her with a smirk.

"I don't know... maybe a dozen," she replied. "Don't worry, I'm not about to become an alcoholic overnight. Plus it takes _a lot_ of this stuff to have an effect on me remember. I don't even feel tipsy yet."

"Until it all catches up on you in one go and I have to carry you home," he responded.

Bonnie drank 2 of the shots. "Bet you'd like that wouldn't you?" she said with a little more than hint of flirtation in her voice.

Enzo couldn't hide the desire that flared up in his eyes. She turned away from him and drank another shot. When she turned back to him her expression was more serious.

"I really appreciate everything you're doing for me you know," she said sincerely.

Bonnie put her hand over his on the bar. He felt a buzz as soon as their skin made contact. Her eyes became darker. _She felt it too_.

"I don't want you to get hurt because of me, and I'll do what I can to make sure that doesn't happen," she told him with a caring gaze.

All he could do was look at her in awe. _She actually cares about me_ , Enzo realized. Bonnie gazed at him for a few moments longer, then broke the contact between their hands.

"Ok, Caroline," she said turning away from Enzo. "Time for another drink and more dancing. If you can tear yourself away from Stefan for more than 5 minutes."

Caroline downed one of the shots and Bonnie offered Stefan and Enzo the remaining shots before the girls went back to the dancefloor.

#

Bonnie high-fived Caroline as she hit the bullseye on the dartboard for the 57th time. She and Damon had been competing to see who could hit the bullseye the most times without breaking their streak. Damon was up next. He threw the dart and hit the bullseye for the 57th time too. Bonnie removed the dart to take her turn.

"Getting a little tired their, Bon Bon. You losing focus yet?" Damon teased.

"You're forgetting what my job is Salvatore. I was made to hit my target," she quipped.

"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" he replied with a cocky grin.

Bonnie aimed for the board without looking directly at it and hit the bullseye for the 58th time.

She shrugged. "I don't need to use words to intimidate you," she said with a smirk.

Damon retrieved the dart to take his turn. He looked at Bonnie before taking aim. She had her arms folded and a cocky look on her face. He threw the dart and it missed the bullseye by barely a centimetre. Caroline cheered Bonnie, while Enzo looked at her proudly. Bonnie gave Enzo a sexy grin, and Damon drank a shot to help him lament his loss.

"Wanna try it again?" Bonnie asked Damon.

"I think you've thrown enough sharp objects tonight, and it's supposed to be your night off," he replied.

"Good point," she said. "Want me to buy you another drink, since I kicked your ass and all?"

"Maybe later," he told her with a genuine smile. "Just enjoy yourself for now," he added lifting up his glass in a salute.

Bonnie smiled back at him warmly.

#

On their way back from a trip to the bathroom Bonnie and Caroline noticed a guy and a woman, who they assumed to be his girlfriend, in the corridor. He had her crowded in against the wall with his hand holding her throat. He was slapping her on the face to intimidate her.

Bonnie grabbed the guy by the back of his neck and dragged him away from the woman.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Bonnie asked the man angrily holding him from behind, while Caroline checked that his girlfriend was ok.

"None of your fucking business!" he said, trying to break free from Bonnie's grasp.

The man threw his arm back in an attempt to hit Bonnie.

"I don't think so," she said with a dangerous laugh, as she grabbed the man's hand and twisted it behind his back, squeezing his fingers so tightly that she had probably fractured the bones.

"What the fuck!?" he yelled in pain. "Are you on steroids or something you crazy bitch!"

"No! I just hate to see women getting slapped around by men!" she yelled back at him.

"Fuck you! Maybe you need to get slapped around!" he told her aggressively.

Bonnie smashed his face into the wall and he shouted out in pain, holding his bloody nose before he ran into the men's toilet.

"What the fuck did you do that for!?" the girlfriend asked Bonnie angrily.

"Are you fucking serious!?" Bonnie responded.

"Why'd you have to get in my business!?" the woman shouted with false bravado.

 _This girl must be drunk or crazy!_ Bonnie thought to herself. Bonnie walked towards her and the woman stepped back nervously. Bonnie took a step back too. Her aim wasn't to scare someone who was already in an abusive relationship.

"I don't know what hold that asshole has over you, but if you don't leave him I'll have to slap some sense into you myself," Bonnie said, knowing full well that the woman would probably be back in her abusers clutches by tomorrow, if not sooner. As that was often the case with domestic violence victims.

The woman looked down embarrassed.

"Do you need a ride home?" Caroline asked her softly.

"No," the woman replied. "My girlfriend is in the bar, she can take me."

"Ok," Caroline said. "I think it's a good idea if you go home now."

The woman nodded then made her way to the bar. Caroline and Bonnie waited to make sure she went to her friend rather than going to check on her asshole boyfriend. Caroline gave Bonnie a _What the hell has gotten into you?_ look. Working with victims of domestic abuse, Bonnie was usually a hell of a lot calmer in these situations. Beating an abuser and scaring his victim wasn't her typical M.O. Suddenly the song _'Blame It On the Alcohol'_ came to mind...

#

"What's going on?" Enzo asked when he saw the serious expressions on Bonnie's and Caroline's faces when they returned from the bathroom.

"Oh, nothing..." Caroline began. "Bonnie just broke some guys hand... and his nose, cause he was slapping his girlfriend around."

Enzo, Damon and Stefan looked at Bonnie with wide, shocked eyes.

"What?" Bonnie said to them. "I'm not abiut to start a bar brawl just cause I've had a few drinks."

"A few," Damon mocked. "More like a few dozen."

Bonnie rolled her eyes at him. "You can talk," she said, since he was rarely without his best friend Mr. Bourbon in his hand.

"Do you wanna leave? He might call the cops," Stefan said to Bonnie.

"Please," Bonnie responded. "Do you really think a woman beater is gonna call the cops to tell them some girl broke his nose and his hand cause he was knocking his girlfriend around?" Bonnie reasoned.

"Good point," Enzo said.

"Caroline, time for another dance?" Bonnie suggested as if nothing had happened.

Caroline turned to the guys with a _Who is this person?_ Look on her face, before following Bonnie on to the dancefloor.

#

When it was obvious that the liquor was finally having an effect on Bonnie they decided it was time to go home. Stefan and Caroline went back to her place, while Bonnie, Damon and Enzo travelled back to the Boarding House.

Enzo had promised Caroline that he'd make sure Bonnie got to her room safely. Caroline had given him a warning look and he'd assured her that there would be no funny business.

When they entered the house Damon Disappeared to his room, while Enzo helped Bonnie up to hers. At least she was able to walk. Kind of.

They reached the hallway where their bedrooms were. In her inebriated state Bonnie walked past her bedroom. Enzo followed her, putting his hands on her shoulders to turn her around and push her towards the right room.

"Are you gonna be ok?" he asked her with an amused smile, as she stood in the doorway of her room.

"Yeah," she answered with a casual shrug.

"Ok," he said, waiting several seconds before turning around to go to his own room, which was opposite hers.

He chuckled to himself quietly when he heard her stumble into her bedroom.

#

Bonnie took off her boots and went to brush her teeth. Once she was finished in the bathroom she sat on her bed, restlessly looking around the room. She was drunk and she was horny. She debated knocking on Enzo's door. She wasn't too drunk to know what she was doing. She wanted him and he wanted her. Tonight was supposed to be about having fun and making the most of her life.

"Fuck it," she said to herself as she got up and made her way across the hall.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Enzo opened his bedroom door to find Bonnie standing there with one hand on the side of the door frame and a mischievous look on her face. She put one hand on his chest and pushed him into his room, using the other hand to shut the door.

Bonnie pushed Enzo onto his bed and climbed on top of him, almost falling off the bed in the process. Luckily he steadied her just in time, and she laughed at her own alcohol-induced clumsiness. Enzo couldn't help but smile with her and she managed to kiss him once before he stopped her.

"Exactly how much have you had to drink tonight?" he asked her putting his hands on her waist.

"A lot," she replied, leaning back down to kiss him.

She was turning him on in the worst way. He'd been turned on all night just by looking at her. But he wasn't about to take advantage of her when she wasn't sober.

"Bonnie," he said in between kisses, but she wasn't paying attention. "Bonnie," he said again.

Clearly she was on a mission to get into his pants, and he'd have no objection if she wasn't under the influence. He needed to try a different approach. Enzo flipped them over so that he was on top of her.

"You wanted to be on top?" Bonnie said with a saucy smile. "All you had to do was ask?"

He smiled back at her. "As much as I want to do _this_ with you, I'd rather do it when you're sober," he said.

"I'm not completely hammered," she objected.

"That's debatable," he told her with a smirk, so she pursed her lips at him. "Either way, I'm not about to take advantage of you."

She looked at him like he was crazy. But she understood.

"So what now?" she asked him.

Enzo kissed her near the corner of her mouth and climbed off of her to lie down so that they were spooning.

"Sleep," he said, wrapping his arm around her tightly from behind.

"Ok, Dad," Bonnie responded, lifting her hand behind her to pat him on the cheek clumsily.

And before he knew it she was snoring softly and fast asleep.

#

Bonnie woke up in the morning feeling as if she'd barely had one drink much less a few dozen. One of the perks of being a Huntress was the ability to drink and not have a hangover. She looked towards the bedside table and saw a glass of water and a can of Cherry Cola that weren't there last night. She smiled, thinking that Enzo was one of the most considerate people she had ever met.

She drank half the glass of water then opened the can of Cherry Cola, taking just a few sips. She could hear water running. Enzo was in the shower.

Yesterday's horniness hadn't left her body and the thought of Enzo naked in the shower didn't help. Bonnie walked over to the mirror on the door of the wardrobe and checked herself. She didn't look too unappealing. Apart from some smudged make up and bed-head that was more sexy than messy, no one would suspect she'd gotten hammered the night before.

Bonnie bit her bottom lip. _Am I really gonna do this?_ she contemplated. She looked at herself in the mirror again, tidying up her smudged make up. _Well, if you're gonna do it you better hurry up, he'll be out of that shower soon_ , she told herself.

"Ok," she said quietly, before she stripped off all of her clothes, walked over to Enzo's en-suite bathroom and opened the door.

#

Enzo heard the bathroom door open before Bonnie opened the glass door of the shower cubicle. He felt her warm hand slide up to his chest as she stepped inside the shower with him and closed the cubicle door behind her. She slid the other hand up to his chest too and pressed herself against him, kissing his shoulder.

That was all it took for him to get hard as a rock. Bonnie slid her hands down over his abs and further down to his thighs, stroking his skin in a way that made him shudder. She nipped at his shoulder with her teeth, then moved her hands upwards again. Taking his erection in one hand, she rested the other hand on his lower abs.

Bonnie stroked up and down his hard, straining flesh in a twisting motion, and he began to move his hips to the rhythm of her hand. She brushed her cheek against his upper back, sighing with a sexy purr that turned him on even more.

Enzo moved his hands behind him to stroke the cheeks of her butt and pull her closer against him. He could feel her soft breasts rubbing against the wet, bare skin of his back.

He removed one of his hands from her ass and put it over hers where she was stroking his manhood. He stopped her movements and pulled her around so that she was standing in front of him.

Looking into her eyes, he cupped Bonnie's face and gazed at her, expressing how much he cared about her and that there was nothing he could do to stop himself from falling for her. The look she gave him in return said she felt the same way. She was giving up her resistance to him and her feelings for him. With that in mind he leaned down to kiss her, taking her mouth in an affectionate but possessive kiss.

Bonnie wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved his hands down to her waist, pulling her tightly against him. He pressed her back up against the tiles, then lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around him. He broke their kiss to look at her again with his forehead pressed against hers. And, as he looked into her eyes he slid inside her effortlessly, stroking her wet folds tenderly.

Her eyes closed from the pleasure and Enzo kissed her again as he moved inside her. As turned on as he was, he was able to take his time. He just wanted to enjoy the feeling. What Bonnie said yesterday about not knowing how much time she had stuck in his mind. So right now he tried his best not to think about it, and instead enjoyed being with her.

She felt amazing. It was like being in another place and time. Somewhere peaceful, where pleasure was all that mattered. Her moans and her sighs uplifted him, he wanted her to enjoy the experience just as much as he was.

"Enzo..." she moaned quietly, blissfully.

He smiled and kissed her again.

"You feel so amazing..." he said into her ear. " _You're_ amazing..." he told her.

Before he knew it, his stomach muscles tensed up and he felt himself begin to climax. Releasing a deep groan he spilled his seed inside Bonnie. Then she tensed up around him and followed him into orgasmic bliss.

She looked at him and laughed with deep satisfaction while still trying to catch her breath. He smiled and started laughing too. Then, he pressed his forehead against hers for a moment, before moving them out of the shower, so that he could carry her back into the bedroom, and lay her down on the bed for round 2.

#

Within minutes they were aroused again. Enzo moved down Bonnie's body to devour her breasts. He swirled his tongue around each nipple then sucked them into his mouth one at a time. Bonnie pushed against his shoulder with her hand, indicating that she wanted to change position. They rolled over so that she was on top, and without delay she gripped his manhood carefully, sliding down onto it slowly, inch by inch.

They moaned at the same time until he was deep inside her. Then, she began to ride him, grinding slowly as he gripped her ass. Enzo closed his eyes in awe of the pleasure Bonnie was giving him.

She slid her hands from his chest, all the way down to his thighs, leaving his skin feeling like it was on fire. He looked up at her and saw an expression of contentment on her face. Sitting up to bring them closer, he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck, taking in her scent.

She continued to ride him until their second orgasm hit, like a massive, cleansing wave on a beautiful beach. And when it was over he lay back down, with Bonnie still on top of him. She stretched her legs out over his and rested her head on his shoulder. With Enzo's arms wrapped around her, holding her on top of him, they fell into a deep, tranquil sleep together.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and thank you for your comments, sometimes they really help to keep me motivated!**


	21. Chapter 21

_Bonnie found herself standing outside of a funeral home. She sensed that this place was just outside of Mystic Falls. She walked up to the door and when she was inside the building she saw a middle-aged black woman with blonde dreadlocks in a black suit._

 _Bonnie followed the woman through the building, down some steps into the basement. They continued along a dark corridor to a room right at the back. The woman opened the door and turned on the light. The large room had lots of shelves along the walls with supplies, such as cleaning products, towels, sheets and chemicals. At the very back of the room there were 6 coffins._

 _The woman walked around the room, taking various items off the shelves, but it was as if she didn't even notice that the coffins were there. Bonnie walked towards the coffins and put her hand on top of one of them. Somehow she knew that there was a Heretic inside it. She touched another one of the coffins and another. They all contained Heretics. And they were alive. But why were there only 6 coffins if 8 Heretics were still alive? Terina was in the Armory... Had another one of them died?_

 _Bonnie saw the woman go towards the doorway of the room. She felt a breeze drifting through her hair. It was weird... she could feel the warm, soothing air reaching her scalp._

 _The woman in the suit took one final look around the room before switching off the light. It went dark, and Bonnie's dream ended._

#

Bonnie woke up to the sensation of Enzo running his fingers through her hair. She was still partially lying on top of him, with her head on his shoulder and her leg resting across his body. She lifted her head, looking up at him lazily.

"What time is it?" she asked him.

"Quarter to nine," he answered looking down at her, still playing with her hair.

They'd slept for a few hours after wearing themselves out from enjoying each other's body's.

"You're gonna be late for work," she told him.

"The Armory can wait," he responded.

She smiled at him then rested her head back on his shoulder. Enzo slipped his fingers out of her hair and moved them to her thigh, where he made soft circles on her skin, before sliding his palm up and down.

Bonnie could happily stay like this all day, but they both had to re-enter the real world again at some point. She slid her hand up along the side of Enzo's face and leaned up to kiss him near the corner of his mouth.

"Let me get up so you can go get ready," she said sitting up.

Enzo chuckled deeply and grabbed her hand, pulling her back onto the bed so that he could manoeuvre her body under his. He lay on top of her, between her thighs, then kissed her on the mouth slowly and deeply. Bonnie smiled against his mouth as he slid his palm down over her breast, massaging it gently. Then, he let his hand glide down her waist and her hip, before running his fingers along her thigh again.

Bonnie sighed contentedly. Enzo broke the kiss to look at her, smiling.

"This isn't gonna be a repeat of last time when you tried to escape from my bed and pretend that nothing happened," he informed her.

"Well, that pretense didn't last long the first time anyway, did it?" she told him, since they were naked together _again_ just over 24 hours after the first time.

"Yeah, because you can't resist me," he said with a smirk.

Bonnie scowled at him playfully.

"And I sure as hell can't resist you," he told her.

Her expression softened and she looked away for a moment feeling a little awkward, she wasn't used to men being so open about how they felt about her. Especially when she hadn't known them for very long. Enzo noticed that she seemed a little uneasy. He stroked her face softly.

"If it was up to me, I'd spend the rest of the day inside you," he told her sincerely.

"Are you purposely trying to make me blush?" Bonnie asked him.

He shrugged. "You're a Huntress. I didn't think anything could make you blush," he assessed.

Bonnie smiled at him not knowing what to say. And he looked at her smugly, realizing how much of an affect he had on her.

"I had another dream," she told him, changing the subject.

"Yeah?"

"Doesn't really make sense yet. It was at a funeral home. The Heretics were in coffins there. Well some of them."

"Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah. But what happened in the dream hasn't happened yet."

"Are you sure?"

"100%," Bonnie confirmed nodding.

"Ok," Enzo responded.

He looked at her for several seconds, delaying the part where they had to go their separate ways for several hours. He kissed her on the mouth quickly then moved off of her. He watched Bonnie searching for her clothes while he put a towel around his waist. To save her the trouble of getting dressed just to walk across the hall he passed her another towel, which she wrapped around herself.

Enzo wrapped her up in his arms and gave her another sweet kiss before he opened the door.

"See you later," he said releasing her.

"Bye," she said smiling up at him.

As she turned around and began to walk away from him he grasped her hand and pulled her back to him for another quick kiss. He couldn't resist slipping his hand up under the towel to give her ass a little squeeze.

Then, he smiled at her and shut the door slowly, leaving her standing there in the hallway, floating on cloud nine.

#

"Enzo," Joshua said as he walked into the employee's kitchen. "Been looking for you all day."

It was 2pm. Enzo had been alone in the room making coffee.

"Alex has been keeping me busy. As usual. How is everything?" Enzo asked Joshua with regard to his wife.

"Not too bad. We're getting more help," Joshua replied. "We need to talk properly. Can you meet me outside at 5 'o' clock?"

"Yeah," Enzo agreed.

"Ok. Later, man," Joshua said leaving the room.

#

Bonnie arrived back at the Boarding House from a long run. When she reached the front door Damon was sitting outside on the step.

"What's up with you?" Bonnie asked Damon, taking a gulp of the bottled water she was holding.

"Nothing," Damon answered, even though clearly something was bugging him.

Bonnie sat down on the step next to him.

"So you and Enzo are getting on _really_ well now, huh? Considering you started out kidnapping him, with a little torture thrown in for fun." Damon reminded her of how she'd poured vervain down Enzo's throat to get him talking about Lily when they'd first met.

Bonnie smiled slightly at the memory and shook her head.

"He's an ok guy. He didn't have to help me, but he is," Bonnie told Damon, trying to play down how much Enzo meant to her.

"Well, his motives were to protect Lily in the beginning, but... looks like you changed that," Damon told her sincerely.

Bonnie looked at him thoughtfully. "He still wants to protect her," she said.

"But he wants to protect you too," Damon assured her.

Bonnie looked away, still trying to get to grips with her feelings for Enzo, and now a little anxious since everyone else was starting to see what was developing between them too.

"Are you really gonna be ok if I have to kill her?" Bonnie asked him, referring to Lily.

Damon paused for a moment. "You gotta do what you gotta do," he told her.

Bonnie wanted to tell him that Lily was still his mother, even if she was far from perfect, and that he was entitled to feel some level of attachment or some kind of emotion towards the woman. But she could sense that Damon's pain and resentment was too deep for that. If he ever felt anything positive towards his mother again, it would happen on it's own. No one would be able to bring those emotions out in him. Not even Elena.

"How did you find out what your Dad did to her? You didn't know that he was beating her until she left, right?" Bonnie asked him. That was something Enzo had shared with her.

Damon looked at the ground.

"She told me," he said looking up at Bonnie then. "That night he almost killed her. Well, technically he did kill her," he added referring to the night Julian turned Lily as she was dying from the injuries caused by Giuseppe.

Bonnie looked at Damon, patiently waiting for him to continue his story.

"I didn't see Giuseppe beat her. I was in my room, supposed to be sleeping. I heard him bring her up to bed and I heard her crying in the bedroom when he went back downstairs. I went in there... her face was bleeding and covered in bruises. She had blood all over her dress, and she was coughing up blood, but she was conscious."

Damon turned away again, obviously disturbed by the memory of seeing his mother bloody and battered.

"I asked her what happened and she told me to get help," he continued. "She said she needed a doctor and that she had to leave because she couldn't survive with Giuseppe anymore. She told me that he'd been beating her all along, but tonight was the worst. Stefan was right when he said Giuseppe never hit us. He intimidated us, well mainly me, but I guess he took out all his frustration on Lily instead. He used her as a punching bag."

Bonnie looked at Damon silently, understanding. Lily might be a mass murderer now, but she was once a vulnerable, abused woman.

"I told her that I didn't wanna leave her the way she was, but she said I had to get help, to get her out of the house... I begged her not to leave me and Stefan with Giuseppe, and she told me not to worry. She said she'd come back for us."

 _No wonder he hates her so much_ , Bonnie thought. _She broke her promise about coming back for them_ , _knowing that Damon was probably terrified of his father by that point_.

"As much as Giuseppe liked to show off to people and play the charismatic host, we weren't really close to anybody. The only person I could think of to go to for help was Julian. He used to spend a lot of time at a Tavern gambling. It wasn't too far away from the house, so I ran all the way there."

Damon stretched out his legs and folded his arms before continuing.

"I told Julian that Lily was hurt. He wouldn't let me travel back to the house with him. He got one of his acquaintances to take me home in a horse-drawn carriage. When I got back this huge, enclosed horse and carriage was riding away from the house. I thought Julian brought it to take Lily to a hospital or something. "

Sometimes Bonnie forgot just how old the Salvatore brothers were. It was weird thinking of them living in a time before cars and television.

"I went in the house and that bastard Giuseppe was in the living room drinking bourbon like nothing happened. He didn't even realize I left the house. I asked him where Lily was and he said she was asleep. I ran upstairs to check but she was gone. When I came back I asked him where Julian was. He asked me what I was talking about then he disappeared, looking around the house. When he came back to me he told me to go to my room and locked me inside."

Damon looked at Bonnie and she realized that there was a small part of him that felt some level of sympathy for his mother. He might hate her, but he could never condone the way Giuseppe treated her.

"When he let me out the next day I asked him what he did to her. He admitted that he lost his temper and hit her. He said it was because she was gonna leave him. He told me that after he hit her she left anyway and that she wasn't coming back. When we heard nothing from Julian I thought that maybe Giuseppe paid him off to keep away and stay out of our business. And I assumed that Giuseppe was the one who got the horse and carriage to come and take Lily away. I didn't realize she was dying, I believed she'd come back. And when she didn't I had no idea how to find her."

"You believed that Julian would let Giuseppe pay him off? You didn't know he had feelings for Lily or suspect that he was the one who took her away?" Bonnie asked him.

"Julian loved money so much he'd do pretty much anything to get it. I didn't realize he had feelings for Lily at the time. I didn't know until Enzo told me about them. That's when I put two and two together. It was the little things you don't really pay attention to as a teenage boy. Like the way he'd look at her a little too long. Of course Giuseppe wouldn't let her look at any other man for more than half a second so it was probably one sided at first. Julian was a no commitment kind of guy. He liked his freedom. I didn't think he had it in him to take that level of responsibility for a woman who was trying to escape from her abusive husband." Damon answered.

"Was Julian a vampire when you first knew him?" Bonnie asked.

"No," Damon said shaking his head. "I remember one time when I was 12. He and Giuseppe got drunk and started playing around with swords like two kids having some crazy sword fight. Giuseppe sliced Julian's hand open by accident. He thought it was hilarious. Until Julian started bleeding so badly that he turned white as a goddamn ghost and he had to call a doctor to stitch him up," Damon said with a chuckle. "Julian disappeared for about a year and a half when I was 15. when he came back he seemed different somehow. He probably 'turned' then."

Bonnie looked at Damon thoughtfully for several seconds.

"What?" he asked when he noticed her staring.

"Just didn't realize you went through so much," she told him. "I always thought you were just a spoilt brat," she added, lightening the mood.

Damon smirked at her playfully.

"I'm sorry," she said more seriously, sympathizing with him, and Stefan for their problems with their parents.

"Yeah... Still a better childhood than the one Enzo had," Damon remarked.

"No shit!" Bonnie agreed seriously.

"At least now he has you," Damon commented.

Bonnie's head whipped around so fast she almost got whiplash. "What?" she said with wide eyes and a nervous laugh.

Their feelings were developing fast, but it was way too soon for anybody to be talking like they had both found 'the one'.

"We've barely known each other a week," Bonnie said anxiously.

"Ok..." Damon said as if he knew something that Bonnie didn't.

"I forgot. You were born in a different era... And so was he. People's intentions were more meaningful then," Bonnie said to him. "I guess back then you could go from meeting each other for the first time to being engaged in a matter of weeks."

"Sometimes," Damon responded with an affirmative nod. "You can try to deny it, but I don't see you leaving here once all this is over."

Bonnie looked away with a smile.

"Maybe being back here has gotten under my skin. But the Armory is a little to close for comfort... and my Mom couldn't stay in Mystic Falls once we get her out of there. She probably wouldn't even want to. It's a constant reminder of the little girl who died," Bonnie told him.

"She wouldn't wanna be with your Dad?" Damon queried.

"I dunno. Maybe," she answered. "But he'd move somewhere else if she wanted to. My Dad has no problem with travelling... starting over somewhere else."

"Neither would Enzo," Damon asserted.

Bonnie looked at him nervously. _Ok, this is too much pressure_ , she thought to herself. _Next thing you know Damon'll come to me and Enzo with two rings saying that he got ordained on the internet and he can perform a wedding ceremony for us immediately._

Bonnie smirked at Damon then looked away.

"Maybe it's time we go inside and have a glass of Bourbon," she suggested trying to distract him.

"Ok... Mrs. St. John..." she heard him say under his breath as they got up to go inside the house.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"So this is like a VIP pass for restricted zones," Joshua explained to Enzo, handing him an electronically coded photo ID card. "You need to use this and the first two number codes to enter that sector of the building," he added handing him a piece of paper with three digital codes written on it.

Enzo and Joshua were about a five minute walk away from the Armory. Joshua had found a way for Enzo to get past security so that he could speak to Terina. The whole situation was risky, but it was better to discuss the plan with a little distance between themselves and the building.

"There should be six armed security guards in total. Two at each door. If anyone asks any questions you're there to get information for Alex, since you're a vampire, she thinks the subject is more likely to open up to you," Joshua advised.

Joshua was one of the trusted Armory employees who knew about their supernatural background. It was another reason he was at risk of being 'wiped out' if he was fired. Fired employees were typically sedated until the vervain that they were given on a daily basis had left their system. Then they could be compelled to forget pretty much everything about the place. But, to avoid the risk of them being somehow uncompelled via a spell or another method, the rumour was that some of the employees who knew the most about the Armory, had been killed.

"So the guards can hear what goes on inside the room?" Enzo asked.

"Yes. But the third code on that piece of paper will mute the intercom, in case someone wants to speak to the subject and the information is confidential," Joshua informed him. "You'll be watched from the surveillance room but they won't be listening in. The sound and visual is usually recorded for future reference but I'm gonna run interference remotely so that it doesn't record and it'll be a live feed only."

"I really appreciate this," Enzo thanked Joshua.

"No problem," Joshua replied. "All we need now is for Alex to disappear for a few hours then you can go down there."

Enzo nodded.

"Ok, let me go over how the codes work..." Joshua continued.

#

Enzo and Joshua made their way back inside the Armory after going over all of the details to help Enzo speak to Terina. They walked together along the corridor. It was just after 5:30pm and time for Joshua to leave for the day.

"Her sister is staying with us to help take care of her. But it should be me," Joshua explained the situation with his wife to Enzo. "Everybody understands that I need to be at work to pay the medical bills, but I wanna be there with her. If she doesn't make it... I can never get the time back that I was here instead of with her," he said, the pressure weighing on him heavily.

 _I have to find a way to help this man_ , Enzo thought to himself.

Alex walked by looking at the two men a little suspiciously.

"I'm leaving now. I expect you to make up the hours you missed this morning," she asserted speaking to Enzo.

She walked away without another word. Enzo and Joshua looked at each other.

"No time like the present," Joshua said.

Now that Alex would be out of the way, Enzo could take care of this business with Terina. Hopefully she'd be willing to talk.

#

Enzo followed Joshua's instructions as he arrived at the underground levels of the Armory. He showed his photo ID card to two armed security guards, who allowed him to continue through to hold his pass up to the scanner and enter the first number code. At the next set of doors there was a small desk and another two security guards who had to verify that he was authorized to continue on into the restricted area. They gave him access to proceed and he reached Terina's room, where two more armed guards stood outside. They checked Enzo's ID before he used the pass and the second number code to enter the room.

Terina was lying on a hospital-type bed in a room not dissimilar from Abby's. She looked slightly drowsy, but she was awake.

Enzo used the third number code he had to mute the intercom, then he walked over to Terina. She looked up at him suspiciously.

"Terina?" he asked.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, since the Armory didn't know any of the Heretics names.

She was more coherent than Enzo realized, but obviously the Huntress blood they were giving her was keeping her physically inactive. She had an accent that sounded Australian, maybe. She had light brown skin and exotic features that suggested she was a descendant of an indigenous tribe. Her long dark hair looked dull and her brown eyes were weary. She looked very young. She was probably still in her teens when she was 'turned'.

"Lily told me about you," Enzo replied, bending the truth a little.

All Lily had really told him was that someone was after her, one of her 'family' had been taken and that she'd come to Mystic Falls to find them. She'd kept the details to herself.

Terina continued to look at Enzo suspiciously.

"I'm Enzo," he told her.

Terina looked around as if she was trying to figure out who he was. She focused her gaze on his as recognition hit her.

"Enzo... she's talked about you before," Terina said to him.

"Really?" Enzo asked, genuinely surprised.

Terina nodded weakly. "The first time was when we were at a classical music concert that she forced us to go to. Not my scene, but she said you'd appreciate it because you loved music."

Enzo smiled, warmed by the thought of the Lily he remembered.

"Julian didn't like you either, did he? That's why you left?" Terina asked.

"That's right," Enzo confirmed. "I take it your not a fan of his either?"

Terina chuckled bitterly. "He thinks I'm a spoilt brat... and I think he's a dickhead."

Enzo laughed at her frankness.

"Are you here to help me or what then?" she asked him bluntly.

"I'll do what I can," he said. He felt guilty for lying to her, but he needed answers.

"I need to ask you some questions," he told her.

He could see that she didn't trust him, but their mutual dislike of Julian gave them common ground.

"Why?" she queried dubiously.

"To help you," he lied again.

She looked at him weighing up her options.

"Why should I trust you?" she asked. "How do I know you're not bullshitting me, do you work for these people?"

Enzo chuckled. "You're right. You really don't know if you can trust me. But what have you got to lose?"

Terina looked away from him, considering his reasoning. At this point she really didn't have anything to lose.

"Go for it then?" she said, crossing her arms.

"How did you become a Heretic?" he asked as his first question.

"Lily helped me when she came to New Zealand. My family was a modern Maori tribe of witches. I was the only siphon in the coven. I never even wanted to be a witch," she said resentfully. "I just wanted a normal life... to travel the world. The coven was killed by a pack of vampires when I was 19. I escaped and Lily rescued me, made me part of the Heretic 'family'."

"How?" Enzo questioned needing the full story.

"With a linking spell. Lily and Julian were the ones who turned us all, but they weren't real Heretics at first. Valerie was the first true Heretic. She got sick and Julian made sure that when she died she had his blood in her system. When she 'turned' she was still able to siphon, and use magic from the constant supply of vampire blood in her body. Lily and Julian 'collected' other siphons rejected by their covens and 'turned' them too. The siphons showed their gratitude by creating a spell to link their magic and themselves to Lily and Julian so that they'd become Heretics too, and basically channel the original siphons' magic." Terina revealed.

"You're all linked to each other aren't you?" Enzo queried, remembering Lily's comment about them all becoming weaker if one of them died.

Terina nodded. "They don't really want me with them though," she began. "Lily does, but the others... they think I'm ungrateful. A rebel."

"Why?" Enzo asked.

"Like I said... I never wanted magic in my life. I don't fit in. I'm the newest Heretic, they only found me 10 years ago. I went with them because I was young and alone. But there's nothing normal about feeding on a hundred people in one night before your hunger is satisfied," she told him. "It's disgusting. But we can't stop it."

"Why not?" Enzo asked her.

"It's a side-effect of the spell. And it can't be reversed, we tried. The vampire in us wants to feed on blood and the siphon in us wants to absorb magic. It amplifies the blood-lust. We can't stop ourselves from binging to have a huge, stable supply of blood in our systems to sustain the magic... And Julian and Lily have to feed from us after we binge to maintain the link and supply their magic too," she informed him.

Enzo was intrigued and sickened by the revelation.

"What about the burning of the bodies?" he questioned.

"We have to cover our tracks somehow," she said matter-of-factly. "Luckily, I don't get involved in that part. Julian seems to like to take care of that."

 _Why does that not surprise me?_ Enzo thought.

"So how are you gonna help me?" she asked, expecting something in return for sharing information on the Heretics.

"I need to speak to Lily," he partially lied. He did need to speak to Lily but it wouldn't be to help the Heretics.

"Well, you better find her before the big siesta," Terina told him.

"What do you mean?" Enzo said confused.

Terina narrowed her eyes at him. "I think I've told you enough. I'm sure you can figure that one out yourself."

She yawned and closed her eyes. Clearly she was done sharing for today. Enzo didn't have all the answers, but between what Terina had told him and Bonnie's dreams they had a good chance of piecing everything together.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Bonnie stood in the kitchen at the Boarding House washing up her dishes after having something to eat. She sensed the moment that Enzo entered the room and she could feel his eyes roaming over her body from behind her, as he stood near the doorway. She smiled to herself. She wasn't naked so why was he gazing at her for so long, she wondered.

She was wearing a midnight blue t-shirt with light blue skinny jeans, and beige combat boots that had a two inch heel.

Bonnie didn't turn around, but she felt the change in the air as Enzo walked towards her. Standing directly behind her, he placed one hand on the kitchen counter at her side, crowding her in. With his free hand he swept her curls off her shoulder and moved them to the side. Then he placed a soft, lingering kiss on the side of her neck, before resting his cheek against her temple. Bonnie tried to suppress another smile unsuccessfully. Enzo let the hand that had touched her hair slide down her shoulder and her arm, then he moved it around her waist to rest on her belly. Her stomach did a little flip as arousal washed over her.

"I take it you had a good day at work," she commented.

"Not too bad," he replied. "Better now I'm home."

 _Here we go with the domesticity again_ , Bonnie reflected. Since becoming a Huntress the concept of settling down and having her own family had become obsolete. But since meeting Enzo, the idea felt like less of an impossibility, even if they did have the issues of mortality and immortality to discuss.

"I got to speak to Terina today," he told her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. But I think it's better if I share what I found out with everyone here," Enzo advised.

"Ok," Bonnie responded.

She turned her head, looking at him over her shoulder and he gazed back at her with a sexy smile. He dropped a slow, tempting kiss onto her lips, slipping his tongue into her mouth. Then he pulled away, letting his hand brush over her hip and across her behind, before walking away to look for Damon and Stefan.

Bonnie exhaled. _Why the hell did you have to go and do that?_ she thought. _Now I'm gonna be fantasizing about getting you naked for the rest of the evening..._

#

Enzo had spent the last half hour relaying everything that Terina had told him to Bonnie, Damon, Stefan and Caroline. They had all gathered in the library at the Boarding house. Silence filled the air as they reflected on everything Enzo had shared.

"They're gonna 'hibernate'," Bonnie said breaking the silence.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"The 'big siesta'... my dream about the coffins... That's why they need to binge," she added.

"Why would they hibernate?" Caroline asked.

"To regenerate," Enzo suggested. "They binge first, feed Lily and Julian in between victims, then sleep?" he asked Bonnie.

She nodded. "That makes sense." She and Enzo really were on the same wavelength.

"Hold on a minute," Caroline said, taking out her phone to check her emails. She took a few minutes to find what she was looking for. "Bonnie, when you said you were trying to see if there were any connections in the way that the Heretics killed I got one of our news researchers to look into it."

Bonnie had a worried look on her face.

"Don't worry," Caroline told her. "I told him it was for a potential news story on mass murders."

"And he believed you?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"Well I may have compelled him a little," Caroline said rolling her eyes. "Anyway, he's the best at his job and he seems to think that they kill in a monthly cycle."

"Witches tend to do things according to moon cycles," Stefan informed them.

"Yeah," Bonnie agreed.

"Spare us the lesson in witchcraft and get to the part where the Heretics go on their next blood binge," Damon piped in sarcastically.

Everyone rolled their eyes at Damon's comment.

"If you give me the information you have I can try and figure it out," Stefan said to Caroline.

"Sure," she said smiling at him. "I'll email it to you."

"It's not gonna happen yet," Bonnie told them. "My dream... it felt like more than a few days into the future, maybe a week or more."

"It won't hurt to try and work out it though," Stefan said to Bonnie.

"You're right," Bonnie told him. "Thanks."

"What are we gonna do about Lily?" Caroline said to Bonnie.

Bonnie shook her head and sighed looking at Enzo. "I don't know yet," she replied.

Enzo would never forget how Lily had rescued him and helped him to find a new lease on life for those few months that he was with her. But he would also never forget the fact that she chose to abandon her sons when she had the choice and the power to come back for them.

He knew what abandonment felt like. And no matter how many witch siphons Lily took in and made into her surrogate children, they would never replace Damon and Stefan. She couldn't redeem herself by mothering other people's children. Not when her own sons were still alive and she knew exactly where they were.

Of course he still didn't want Lily to die. And if there was a way to separate her from the other Heretics and stop her from slaughtering people he would try to find it. But he didn't have a solution to that problem yet. So For now, he was more concerned with making sure that Bonnie didn't die on her mission trying to take the Heretics down, or get captured trying to free Abby from the Armory.

#

They all spent another 20 minutes in the library discussing the Heretics and Terina, until they decided to change the subject and began to reminisce about Elena, back in the days when Bonnie was still in Mystic Falls.

Bonnie and Enzo had barely said a word for the last 10 minutes. While everyone else was sharing Elena stories, Bonnie and Enzo were busy trying, unsuccessfully, to hide the fact that they were desperate for the group discussion to end so that they could pretty much disappear and tear each other's clothes off.

Caroline looked at Enzo and then at Bonnie. It was impossible to miss the way Enzo was looking at her friend as if he wanted to eat her alive with that suggestive smirk on his face. Bonnie was trying hard to hide how she felt, but whenever she glanced at Enzo a little smile broke through, and the way her eyes roamed over him involuntarily, indicated that she wanted to be alone with him too.

"Let's go to my place," Caroline suggested to Stefan.

"Now?" he asked.

Caroline looked at Enzo again, before looking at Bonnie who was focused on Enzo. Bonnie turned to look at Caroline with a slightly guilty look on her face before it was replaced by a secretive smile. Caroline smiled back at her with a knowing look, before turning her attention back to Stefan.

"Yeah, now," Caroline told Stefan. "Ok, see you guys later. Or tomorrow..." she said, smirking at Enzo.

Enzo casually folded his arms. "See you tomorrow," he said to Stefan and Caroline.

"See ya," Bonnie said to them.

Damon just gave them a goodbye salute. Once Stefan and Caroline had left the room, he looked back and forth between Enzo and Bonnie.

"Ohkaay... I have somewhere to be," he said, noticing that they were now trying to avoid looking at each other, but both had sneaky expressions on their faces.

He was _so_ tempted to make a lewd comment, but thought better of it. It would be best not to mess with a horny vampire _and_ a horny Huntress who was likely to rip his head off, literally, if he didn't leave them alone to take the edge off asap.

As soon as Damon left the room, Enzo walked over to Bonnie and grabbed her hand pulling her out of the room and up the stairs to his bedroom. Just before they reached his door Bonnie stopped him in his tracks and pulled at his hand. He turned to look at her.

"Let's go to my room this time," she offered.

She didn't have to tell him twice. And in a way she was symbolically telling him that she was ready to let him in... into her life... and maybe her heart too.

She removed her hand from his to open her door and he put his hands on her waist from behind, following her into her room. He shut the door quickly, then wrapped his arms around Bonnie as she turned to face him, taking her mouth in an intense, sensual kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.

They pulled away from each other to get their clothes out of the way. Watching each other intensely, Enzo pulled Bonnie's t-shirt up and off her body. She slipped her feet out of her boots so that he could undo the button and zip on her jeans and slide them down her legs. She reached towards him and pulled his t-shirt off too, then she slipped his jeans down, giving him time to remove his boots.

Bonnie smiled up at him with lust in her eyes when she saw the huge tent in his boxers. He gave her a few seconds to ogle him before he moved closer to her and snapped open the clasp of her bra to free her breasts. She felt his erection brush against her hip as he slipped his fingers into the sides of her panties, sliding them down her legs. Before he could do anything else she pulled down his boxers, revealing a guaranteed source of pleasure.

They stood in front of each other for several seconds, admiring each others naked form. Enzo snaked a hand around Bonnie's waist and pulled her to him going in for another passionate kiss. She became absorbed by the sensation of their naked skin rubbing against each other as they held on tight.

Enzo moved them to Bonnie's bed, laying her down. He kissed his way down her body. From her breasts, down her belly and to her thighs. He licked and nipped at the skin of her inner thighs moving in towards her center. At the first lick of his tongue on her wet core, Bonnie gasped and raised her hips off the bed. Enzo pushed her hips back down as he went to work between her thighs.

He licked all the way along the slit separating her lower lips, then circled her clit with his tongue before he took it into his mouth and sucked gently. Bonnie groaned breathlessly, digging her fingers into his hair and tugging at the strands as she went into pleasure overload. Enzo flicked her bud with his tongue, then sucked it again, this time between his tongue and his top lip. Bonnie laughed a little at the amazing sensation, before releasing a louder moan. He started to kiss her tender feminine flesh, using his tongue on her clit as if he was French kissing her on the mouth.

Bonnie couldn't help grinding her hips up against his face as she felt her orgasm approaching. The sensation spiraled out from her center, to her legs and her belly, then out to the rest of her body. She let out a huge satisfied sigh as the orgasm left her skin tingling all over. It was so intense she was trembling. Enzo kissed his way back up her body and dropped an affectionate kiss on her mouth.

"How'd you learn to do that...?" she asked him, still barely able to breath properly.

He chuckled gently and shrugged. "You inspired me," he told her with a smile.

He moved to the side of her. "Turn over," he said in a hoarse voice.

He was so hard now, that Bonnie wondered how he was able to hold back to give her pleasure first, although she didn't have a problem with that.

She turned over so that she was lying on the front of her body. Enzo moved her legs apart then settled himself in between them, resting on his knees while he stroked his hands up the length of her legs, over her ass and up her back. He started to kiss her lower back, nibbling his way across the sides of her waist and then up to each of her shoulders.

He leaned in to kiss her on the mouth, then he lay on top of her with the front of his body pressed against the back of hers. Spreading her thighs apart even more, he brought his hard shaft to her core and rubbed the tip over her slick folds before he pushed it inside her slowly. Bonnie exhaled deeply as he filled her completely. Enzo took both of her hands, lifting them just above her head and linked his fingers with hers as he moved inside her with a slow, deep, steady rhythm.

He nipped at her shoulder intermittently as he stroked her inside and she couldn't move. She didn't want him to do all the work so Bonnie clenched her internal muscles around him tightly, matching his rhythm. Enzo let out a deep chuckle.

"What are you doing to me Bonnie Bennett...?" he said quietly, huskily into her ear, overwhelmed by the new sensation she was creating.

She smiled and enjoyed the pleasure he was giving her while trying to ensure he enjoyed it just as much as she was.

Enzo's movements became deeper and more intense. He moved one hand under Bonnie's body so that he could use his finger to circle her clit. He slid in and out of her more quickly. As his orgasm took over he pushed himself deep inside her, holding still while she milked him with her internal muscles. He continued to massage her clit with his finger and she came seconds after him. Enzo moaned with satisfaction into her ear, but she barely had the energy to catch her breath.

They lay there for a few minutes before Enzo rolled them onto their sides so that he was spooning Bonnie. He rested his arm across her waist, stroking her belly gently with his fingers. He tucked his chin into the crook of her neck then nibbled her earlobe. Bonnie giggled softly, then sighed exhausted.

"Not long now," Enzo told her.

"Hmmm...?" she replied.

"My ally at the Armory is just waiting on his contacts to come through with some supplies then we'll be able to help Abby escape," he updated her.

"Great," she replied. "Thanks."

Bonnie wanted nothing more than to free her Mom from the place that had held her captive for the last 5 or 6 years. And she was relieved that more information was coming to light that would help her to eliminate the Heretics. So why did a part of her feel sad that everything would soon come to its conclusion?

 _Soon I'll have to leave..._ _And I really don't know if I can leave Enzo behind,_ she considered anxiously, as he wrapped his arm around her tightly.

* * *

 **Thank you for your comments. I hope you've enjoyed the recent chapters.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Stefan and Caroline strolled into the Boarding House at 7:30am the next morning. They greeted Enzo, who was in the kitchen drinking a glass of blood, before Stefan went to the library.

"No work today?" Enzo asked Caroline.

"It's my day off, and Stefan wanted to get started on doing some research into the whole moon cycle thing," Caroline told him. "Is Bonnie up yet?"

"She's in the shower," Enzo informed her.

Caroline looked at him smiling.

"What?" he queried, trying to suppress his own smile.

"Just... you two," she shrugged, still smiling.

"Yeah, well don't get too excited. It's early days... and I'm sure Bonnie has her own plans once she does everything she needs to do here," he responded cynically.

Caroline looked at him contemplatively. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not exactly getting a casual-hook-up vibe from you two. I've never known Bonnie to be someone who plays the field. And as much as you can be a flirt, I think we both know that deep down you wanna find the right person. You wouldn't be doing all that you're doing for her if there wasn't something major going on here."

Enzo thought about what Caroline was saying. But, he didn't want to be too optimistic. While he couldn't help the way he felt about Bonnie now, there was no way of telling if those feelings would last. Or if the two of them could even have a future. They wouldn't be the first man and woman to start out with an intense attraction, only for it to fizzle out after a few weeks.

Deep down though, Enzo knew that Caroline was right. He wasn't against one night stands and casual hook-ups, but what he really wanted was something more substantial, and he could be picky when it came to women too. He wouldn't allow himself to fall for _just_ anyone, so he knew that the feelings he had for Bonnie weren't going to disappear. He needed that deeper connection and he had a lot to give. But he needed someone who could understand _him_ too.

Enzo had to be realistic though. He wasn't about to get caught up in believing that what he had with Bonnie was more than it actually was, on both their parts. Plus, they still had yet to discuss her mortality and his immortality. And frankly it was probably too early for that discussion anyway.

"You really don't believe she'll stick around, do you?" Caroline commented, noticing that Enzo was deep in thought.

Enzo shrugged casually not truly knowing the answer.

Caroline shook her head agitated. "What is it with you two and this issue of not believing you deserve to be happy...?"

"It's not that I don't believe it... I'm just being realistic," Enzo corrected her.

"Well the reality is that Bonnie is a good person, and you're not the unstable, irrational guy I thought you were when you came to Mystic Falls. You got your shit together. You two are both loyal, strong, caring... passionate. You deserve someone like her and she deserves someone like you. You're also both stubborn as hell, so if you don't get to be happy together then it's your own fault."

Enzo smiled and shook his head. He couldn't deny how good it felt to have Caroline's support, and her blessing. They weren't quite 'besties' but he respected her and she was Bonnie's best friend. Caroline's opinion mattered.

"I better get going," Enzo said, finishing his liquid meal.

"Ok, see ya later," Caroline told him.

He nodded in lieu of a 'goodbye' and left to go to the Armory.

#

Fifteen minutes later Bonnie walked into the kitchen, where Caroline was drinking coffee.

"Hey," Caroline greeted her friend. "Want some?" she offered gesturing to the coffee.

"Hey," Bonnie responded. "No thanks. My morning caffeine fix comes in a can," she said, as she took a can of Cherry Cola from the refrigerator.

Bonnie opened the can and took several gulps.

"Aren't you worried about your teeth with all that sugar?" Caroline questioned her.

"My dental health is the least of my worries," Bonnie told her with a smirk. "Where's Stefan?"

"In the library, looking up moon cycles," Caroline informed her.

"I really appreciate everything you guys are doing to help me."

"It's no problem."

Caroline drank some more of her coffee while Bonnie finished off her soda.

"So..." Caroline began.

Bonnie looked at her expectantly.

"You and Enzo..." Caroline continued.

Bonnie smiled. _Here we go._ "What...?" she asked when Caroline didn't say anything else.

"You tell me," Caroline said to her.

Bonnie folded her arms a little more defensively than she had intended.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Bonnie offered in response.

Caroline looked at her frustrated.

"This new version of you is really shady, huh?" Caroline said sarcastically.

Bonnie chuckled. "Seriously, Care. We're just, um... I don't know... having fun."

Bonnie knew that was very much an understatement, but she wasn't ready to label it and who knew how much longer it would continue anyway.

"I'm not sure Enzo sees it that way," Caroline said with a serious expression.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

Caroline's expression softened. "He's really into you, Bon," she told her friend.

Bonnie looked away.

"And I can tell by the way you're trying to hide your feelings that you like him a lot more than you wanna admit," Caroline told her.

Bonnie turned back to look at her friend.

"I'd hate for either of you to get hurt because you're both too stubborn to give things a chance. Remember what I said about allowing yourself some happiness."

Bonnie nodded, understanding.

"The last thing we need around here is another alcoholic vampire if you leave and break Enzo's heart," Caroline said partly joking and partly serious.

They both chuckled softly. Caroline knew that Enzo could be destructive when he was hurting, and Damon was destructive anyway...

"God, can you imagine what him and Damon would get up to together if that happened. They'd probably destroy the town," Caroline contemplated.

"Somehow, I don't think Enzo would go completely off the rails because of a broken heart. He's too strong for that," Bonnie stated.

Caroline gave her a look that said _you never know._ "Maybe," she began. "But the guy's been through enough in his life. He doesn't need another thing to add to his _'Ways that life has shitted on me'_ list."

"I don't wanna hurt him," Bonnie stated sincerely. _But how do I know he won't hurt me?_ she thought, remembering her doomed relationship with Jeremy.

Caroline looked at Bonnie as if she could read her thoughts. She understood Bonnie's fears and doubts.

But Enzo had more than a century of maturity over Jeremy, and Bonnie was able to open up to him in a way that she'd never opened up to any man. Deep down she knew that what she had with Enzo was different. It was real. But a part of her was still trying to deny how deep things were between them.

"Have you two been on an actual date yet?" Caroline asked.

Bonnie shook her head as if her friend was crazy.

"So it's ok for you to _lure_ him into bed, but you can't be seen out in public with him...?" Caroline teased her.

Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, surprised at Caroline's bluntness. To be honest a date hadn't even crossed her mind with everything that was going on. She didn't know how to respond.

"Oooh, even better idea, how about a double date with me and Stefan?"

Bonnie's eyes widened at the suggestion. Were she and Enzo really ready for that after such a short amount of time knowing each other? First Damon was practically trying to get them married, now Caroline was trying to get them to become an official couple...

"I don't know about that..." Bonnie answered unsure.

"Come on," Caroline pleaded. "Who was it that said she wanted to enjoy life just the other day?"

 _Me and my big mouth_ , Bonnie thought. She considered Caroline's suggestion for a moment.

"Ok," Bonnie finally agreed.

"Great!" Caroline said beaming. "You let Enzo know we're going out to dinner tonight and I'll go tell Stefan. When I come back we have some shopping to do."

Caroline left the room before Bonnie could say another word. _What the hell am I getting myself into?_ Bonnie thought. And by that she didn't mean the shopping trip.

#

At 7:30pm Stefan and Enzo sat waiting in the living room at the Boarding House for Caroline and Bonnie to finish getting ready.

Caroline told everyone to dress casual-smart. Enzo had changed into a dark blue, short-sleeved, button-down shirt with black jeans. Stefan also wore black jeans, but with a charcoal grey button-down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up.

The ladies finally entered the room.

Caroline had on a summery white, knee-length, halter-neck dress with tan coloured wedge sandals.

Bonnie was wearing a long red skirt with a high split at the front of one thigh, and a black, thin-strapped, lycra vest top. Black shoe-boots with a spiked heel were on her feet, and she wore red feather earrings. Her hair had a deep part at one side where it was clipped behind her ear, allowing the violet coloured curls on the other side to sweep across her forehead like long bangs. And, her make-up gave her a golden glow.

Caroline greeted Stefan with a kiss, while Enzo watched proudly as Bonnie approached him.

"You're in a dress," Enzo said to Bonnie surprised.

"Well technically it's a skirt," she corrected him.

"Still... Never thought I'd see the day. Must be a pretty damn special occasion."

Bonnie laughed softly.

It took Caroline nearly an hour to convince Bonnie to buy a skirt. Caroline really wanted to see her friend in a dress, but Bonnie wouldn't be bossed around. But, when Bonnie saw the red skirt she liked it and thought w _hy the hell not?_ She was possibly going to die fighting against the Heretics. She might as well play dress up for a fancy meal before it happened.

"You look beautiful," Enzo stated simply.

She smiled at him a little nervously. "Thank you."

Bonnie could easily play the role of 'assassin' as a Huntress, but she'd never get over how a simple compliment from Enzo could break down her defences and make her blush. She gave him an appreciative look in return as she took in his attire. He was gorgeous and she couldn't believe she'd met someone she connected with in the way that she connected with him.

"Let's go then," Caroline said excitedly, leading Stefan out of the room by the hand.

Enzo gestured for Bonnie to follow them ahead of him. He walked slightly behind her, placing his hand low on her back. She turned her head back to look at him, and the sparkle in her eyes made him think that he should try to be a little more optimistic about the future of their 'relationship', instead of assuming it was going to end so soon.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

The restaurant was a little way outside of Mystic Falls. It was similar to a fine dining restaurant minus the snooty atmosphere. The place was comfortable and welcoming, and an interesting treat for Bonnie. Dates with her previous boyfriends were a rarity. Back when she was in California she felt like it was pointless making plans with Huntress duties, college and then work, so the time she did spend with her ex's usually involved casually hanging out. Any actual dates would be a trip to the movies or a meal at casual restaurant.

Caroline sat next to Stefan, opposite Bonnie. And Bonnie was next to Enzo who was facing Stefan. Caroline had put a ban on conversations about the Heretics or the Armory for the night. She wanted a fun, adult evening and everyone was happy to comply.

"I'll have a glass of red wine," Caroline said to the waiter as he took their drinks orders.

"Beer please," Stefan requested.

"Beer as well," Enzo said.

"I will have a cosmopolitan, please," Bonnie requested, still perusing the drinks menu after the waiter left their table.

Stefan, Enzo and Caroline looked at her like she'd had a lobotomy. She looked up at them amused by the way they were staring at her.

"I'm in a skirt. I might as well order a girly drink... And pretend I'm in an episode of _'_ _Sex and the City'_ while I'm at it," Bonnie joked.

"You're acting like you've never worn a dress in your life," Caroline teased her.

"I haven't worn a dress in about 5 years," Bonnie admitted.

"Seriously!?" Caroline said perplexed. "Why?"

"Let's just say dresses, or skirts, aren't exactly the most appropriate attire for what I do," she said referring to hunting vampires. "If I wore a skirt on one of my typical _'_ _nights out'_ it would probably get ripped off."

"This is definitely sounding like an episode of _'_ _Sex and the City',_ " Enzo quipped.

Stefan, Caroline and Bonnie laughed.

"You watched _'_ _Sex and the City'_?" Bonnie teased Enzo.

"I may have seen an episode out of curiosity," he replied.

Bonnie looked at him as if she wanted to say, _"_ _Liar, you know you have all the box sets!"_ Enzo returned her look with a smirk.

"You used to be a cheerleader though," Caroline reminded Bonnie. "How are those moves, done in skirts, that much different to how you move when you're... fighting?"

"You used to be a cheerleader!?" Enzo exclaimed, interrupting before Bonnie could respond to Caroline.

"Yes," Bonnie admitted reluctantly.

Any part of her that was particularly girly was so far in her past that it almost felt like another lifetime. Bonnie was still feminine in her unique way, but she was now a little closer to being a tomboy than a girly-girl.

"I'd pay good money to see you fight in a cheerleading outfit," Enzo told her with a sly grin.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at him, while Stefan and Caroline shared an amused look.

The drinks arrived and everyone took a few moments too quench their thirst.

"So what's the deal with you and Stefan?" Bonnie asked Enzo. "From the little bits I've heard I'm guessing you two didn't start out on good terms," she said teasing him for his cheerleader comments.

Enzo gave her a knowing look and she smirked back at him.

"Let's just say that when I came to Mystic Falls I wasn't in a good place," he told her.

"Yeah, you wanted revenge on Damon. Understandably," Bonnie interrupted him.

"Yeah, well when I started to find out how everyone was connected to each other I was a little... envious," Enzo explained.

"Of Damon?" Bonnie asked a little confused.

"Of me," Stefan clarified.

"Of both of them really," Enzo answered. Bonnie looked at him needing more clarification.

"Damon didn't really seem all that remorseful about leaving me to die, but he was still looking out for Stefan, even though they had 'brother issues'," Enzo enlightened her.

"So basically you were jealous," Bonnie assessed.

"You could call it at," Enzo admitted.

"Where does Caroline fit into this?" Bonnie asked.

"I was the only one to treat Enzo like he _wasn't_ an outsider," Caroline informed Bonnie.

"So you had a crush on Caroline," Bonnie said teasing Enzo again.

Bonnie turned to look at Stefan, realizing that she might be pissing him off by bringing that up, but he just sipped his beer and looked at Bonnie with an amused gaze. Caroline smiled a little uncomfortably and took a sip of her wine.

Enzo shook his head as he looked at Bonnie. "No," he stated sincerely. He wasn't blind to Caroline's attractiveness, but any ideas he'd had about the two of them being anything more than friends were exactly that – _ideas_ – there were no genuine romantic feelings.

"Enzo's a bit of a flirt, but nothing ever happened there," Caroline confirmed once again.

Bonnie looked at Stefan.

"Enzo didn't think I deserved Caroline, and back then he was probably right," Stefan said looking at Caroline with admiration. "At the time I was too busy brooding to let the relationship happen, but Caroline was still always there for me." Stefan turned back to Bonnie. "That aside, Enzo went through hell because of Damon... you know how selfish he can be. Enzo was the one who had to suffer the consequences of that," Stefan added, in defence of Enzo's jealousy and his revenge mission after being an Augustine vampire.

Enzo was alone when he turned up in Mystic Falls and Stefan had what he wanted – people who cared about him. Damon owed Enzo for abandoning him, but was too busy living a guilt-free existence. And Caroline was the closest Enzo had to a friend. But instead those two people were all about Stefan.

Bonnie noticed the way that Stefan glanced at Enzo with a mixture of sympathy and respect. Enzo hadn't let his jealousy or his pain consume him. How could anyone not respect him for that?

Bonnie shared an understanding look with Enzo, then finished off her drink. "I guess we better order the food," she said, before the tone of the evening changed from relaxed and fun to doom and gloom.

#

Once they had all finished their meals they ordered more drinks.

"So what have you been doing with your day apart from shopping and getting dolled up for me?" Enzo teased Bonnie.

She scowled at him playfully then sipped on her drink before she answered. "Apart from trying to understand the concept of moon cycles with Stefan... Looking for jobs," she told him casually.

"Where?" Caroline asked.

"Anywhere," Bonnie said with a shrug as she took another sip of her drink.

Bonnie had enough cash to live comfortably for quite a while thanks to her inheritance from grams, but she needed something else in her life apart from hunting and she liked earning her own money too.

"Did you find any jobs in Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked holding her breath. She and Enzo shared an anxious look, anticipating Bonnie's answer.

"A few," Bonnie admitted nonchalantly.

 _Why did I just get their hopes up that I'll be staying?_ Bonnie thought to herself. The drinks _must be loosening me up._

She was on her fourth drink, but she was nowhere near tipsy. Like vampires she had a high tolerance for alcohol. Her level of tolerance wasn't quite as high as a vampire's, but it still took a lot of the stuff to have an effect on her and the effects didn't last for too long. That didn't stop the liquor from relaxing her though.

Caroline smiled at Bonnie and Enzo, hopeful that Bonnie's job search was a sign that she wanted to settle down in Mystic Falls, and maybe with Enzo.

Enzo sipped his beer trying to hide the fact that he too thought Bonnie was thinking of staying in Mystic Falls now.

"Are you looking to go back into mentoring?" Stefan asked Bonnie.

"To start with," she replied. "I might look into other options too. What about you Stefan?" Bonnie said before anyone could probe her about her future plans any further. "Any plans to join the working world? Come to think of it you're probably good for at least another lifetime," Bonnie commented referring to his wealth.

"My full time occupation seems to be keeping Damon out of trouble, and I don't get paid for that. So maybe a career change is a good idea," Stefan joked with a deadpan expression.

The group smiled at his humour.

"I keep telling him he'd make a great counsellor," Caroline told Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded in agreement. Stefan had a naturally caring, sympathetic personality and he was level-headed too. There were plenty of people out there who would benefit from his help aside from his brother.

"All those years of experience 'baby-sitting' Damon..." Enzo quipped. "You wouldn't even need a degree. You're already qualified."

Caroline and Bonnie smirked while Stefan tried to suppress a smile. Bonnie understood why Enzo and Damon were friends. They had the same brand of sarcastic humour. She could tell that when the two vampires were around each other they probably spent most of their time ribbing each other mercilessly.

"What about you, Enzo?" Stefan asked. "I'm guessing you don't plan to work for the Armory forever," he said quietly.

"Damn right, mate!" Enzo told him. "I dunno. Maybe I could be a music teacher or something."

"Bet all the high school girls would love that," Bonnie told him a little sarcastically.

"What makes you think that, love?" he asked her cheekily, knowing full well that he was more than easy on the eyes, and that his British accent would drive them crazy.

She looked at him like she wanted to stick her tongue out at him for provoking a little jealousy in her. But honestly, she thought he'd make a great music teacher. Bonnie was just beginning to learn how passionate Enzo was about music. And, as well as being patient and laid-back, he was also confident, without being overly cocky.

"So my boss has been asking about you again," Caroline said to Bonnie before turning to look at Enzo with a devious smile.

Enzo's expression changed from playful to serious in a split second. And Bonnie wanted to hug her friend for getting back at Enzo on her behalf.

"Reeeally?" Bonnie said, feigning interest as she turned to look at Caroline.

Stefan observed quietly, enjoying the entertainment.

Bonnie turned back to Enzo, giving him a look that indicated she wasn't seriously interested in Kai Parker. She and Enzo were adults. They didn't need to make each other jealous to get the other to prove how they felt. Enzo shook his head at her with a look that said she'd won that little game, but he'd get her back in another way later.

#

While Bonnie chatted to Stefan and Caroline, Enzo was distracted by thoughts of getting Bonnie alone so he could have her all to himself. He subtly moved one of his hands under the table, resting it on Bonnie's bare leg thanks to the high split in her skirt. He felt her tense up as she tried to control her reaction to his touch. He moved his fingers up her thigh with a feather-light touch and Bonnie sipped on her drink to try and keep her cool.

Enzo let his fingers glide in a figure of eight over her skin and she started to become distracted from her conversation. She turned to give him an aroused but warning glare and all he could do was smile back at her slyly.

He let his fingers move to the inside of her thigh, moving them closer and closer to her core. Before he reached his target Bonnie clamped her thighs together, trapping his hand as she turned to look at him mouthing the word "stop". Her look said that she liked the way he was touching her, but she wasn't kinky enough to let him get into her panties with that much of an audience.

Bonnie put her hand under the table to grab Enzo's wrist. She relaxed her thighs, moving his hand from between her legs. For a second Enzo was tempted to start caressing her skin again. Instead, he took her hand in his and linked his fingers with hers under the table. She didn't pull away. But he knew how much she liked her privacy. So they remained secretly hand in hand until they were ready to go home and leave the restaurant.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

After leaving the restaurant Stefan and Caroline began their journey back to her place, while Enzo and Bonnie made their way back to the Boarding House.

Bonnie had enjoyed herself more than she thought she would and she was fascinated by the way Enzo and Stefan had interacted with each other as if they didn't have a rough start when Enzo first arrived in Mystic Falls. The two vampires were probably more similar to each other than they realized. They were both naturally more caring and considerate than destructive, even if they had done their share of bad things.

Bonnie had spent more time socialising and having fun in the last several days than she had done in the last 5 years. Life almost felt normal. It was a welcome distraction from reality, and she was happy to put reality to the back of her mind at least until tomorrow, because the night wasn't over yet.

Enzo took care of the driving while Bonnie relaxed in the passenger seat. They sat in comfortable silence, but Enzo couldn't stop himself from taking his eyes off the road every few minutes to look at the way Bonnie's thigh peaked out from the split in her skirt. She turned to smile at Enzo communicating with her eyes that she wasn't oblivious to what he was doing. He looked into her eyes with a suggestive gaze, then turned the car onto a quiet section of the road not far from the Boarding House.

"Where are we going?" Bonnie asked a little confused.

"Do you trust me?" Enzo responded looking at her.

Her expression said that she trusted him much more than she was willing to admit, but she smirked back at him before she replied. "I don't need to trust you, I can easily kick your ass if you try anything crazy."

Enzo chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes," he concluded.

He put the car into park, then released Bonnie's safety belt. Enzo turned towards her, putting one hand on her knee and cupping her face with the other hand. As he kissed her on the mouth he slid his hand upwards along the inside of her thigh, softly stroking her sensitive skin.

Bonnie sighed into his mouth. He let his tongue caress hers as he deepened the kiss and moved his hand closer to the edge of her panties. He could hear her heartbeat racing and feel the heat radiating from between her thighs. Enzo used the backs of his fingers to brush over her panties, putting the slightest amount of pressure on her sensitive lower lips. Bonnie lifted her hips slightly to increase the pressure, and Enzo smiled against her mouth, moving his hand back to her knee.

"Come on," he said to her, gesturing to the backseat of the car with a nod.

"What are we 16?" Bonnie sassed him, her eyes still hazy with lust.

"I don't even think cars were on the road when I was 16," Enzo said with a sarcastic smirk.

Bonnie chuckled. "Way to remind me I'm sleeping with a guy who's old enough to be my great, great, great, gre-".

Enzo silenced her with a kiss. Then he pulled away to look at her with a hint of a smile.

"I might have been on this earth for over a century, but I was only 27 when I was turned."

Bonnie looked at him a little more seriously. "I know," she told him. "Besides... Age ain't nothin' but a number..." she began to sing the Aaliyah song.

"Were you even born when that song came out?" Enzo teased her.

"I don't know. I found it in my Mom's music collection with the stuff she left behind... Come to think of it, how do you know it? Wouldn't have thought that kind of music was your scene."

"I love music," Enzo told her matter-of-factly. "I have my preferences, but I don't discriminate when it comes to genre. I discovered a lot more about music when I was finally free from Augustine and figured out how to use the internet."

Bonnie smiled at him as she listened.

The thought occurred to Enzo that she was barely older than the singer Aaliyah was when she died. A moment of panic consumed him at the thought of losing her. Bonnie might have supernatural abilities that protected her from direct magical attacks and made her stronger, faster and able to heal more quickly than the average person, but she wasn't indestructible. She was pretty much still human. And he couldn't let her die in her fight against the Heretics...

"What?" she asked Enzo, noticing the shift in his mood.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head and pushing his fears to the back of his mind. "Come on," he said motioning to the back seat again. She was safe for now, and he didn't want to take that for granted. He wanted to cherish their time together.

They opened their doors to get out of the front seats of the car so that they could move around to the back seat. They climbed in grinning like two horny teenagers having a forbidden rendezvous. As soon as they were sitting side by side they leaned in to kiss each other. Bonnie wrapped her arms around Enzo's neck, as he put one arm around her waist and used his free hand to lift her legs across his lap. He slid his hand up her thigh, to her hip and moved it around to stroke her ass.

Bonnie seduced him with her tongue, using one hand to slip the buttons of his shirt free. She used her fingertips to stroke down from his chest to his abs. She felt Enzo's stomach muscles tense as her fingers tickled his skin and she chuckled against his lips.

"Are you ticklish?" she teased him.

"No. Just hypersensitive whenever a gorgeous Huntress gets her hands on me," he told her looking at her mouth with a hooded gaze.

They brought their lips back into contact and Enzo leaned down over Bonnie, shifting them so that she was partly underneath him, with both of her legs still across his lap. He moved his hand up her waist until he reached her breast, where he stroked and squeezed her soft flesh gently.

Bonnie moved her hands down to unbuckle Enzo's belt and unfasten the button on his jeans. She slipped her hand into his boxers, stroking the hard, aroused flesh hidden beneath the fabric. He stopped kissing her while he lost himself in the sensation of her warm skin caressing his manhood. He groaned then chuckled deeply.

"Now I know why you wanted me to stop what I was doing to you under the table at the restaurant," he said to her.

If what he was planning to do to her under that table felt even half as good as what she was doing to him right now, they definitely would have been caught. Noone could hide their reaction to that level of pleasure. He would have had to compel everyone in that restaurant so that they didn't get charged with some form of public indecency.

She smiled at him biting her bottom lip. She loved how responsive he was to her.

Seeing Bonnie biting her lip, Enzo couldn't resist licking the soft flesh that she had now released from between her teeth. Then he nipped at her lip with his own teeth before giving her a soft kiss to sooth the flesh.

Enzo sat up and leaned away a little, causing Bonnie to slip her hand out of his boxers. He slipped his own hands up her skirt and lifted her hips so that he could pull her panties off. He lifted her legs up, letting her ankles rest on his shoulder until he was able to pull her panties off completely. Then he moved her legs so that they were on either side of his body and he positioned himself between them.

Enzo tested her wetness with his fingers. Satisfied that she was aroused enough for him to easily slide inside her he leaned down over Bonnie and gave her a kiss before freeing himself completely from his pants and joining their bodies.

He took his time as he moved within her. She rested the heels of her shoes on the seat, with her knees bent at either side of Enzo's hips, giving her leverage to rock her hips upwards to meet his thrusts. The space might have been cramped, but the pleasure was still intense.

When Enzo began to thrust a little harder Bonnie put her hands above her head, resting her palms on the door. Noticing that she was now concentrating a little more on preventing her head from making contact with the door than matching his rhythm, Enzo slowed right down and gave her a kiss on the mouth before leaning up.

"Why'd you stop?" Bonnie asked breathlessly.

"As much as I'm enjoying this position I'd hate to kill the mood by giving you a concussion," he told her looking at the car door.

"Hmmm... That'd probably be the first time the 'I have a headache,' excuse to get out of sex would be genuine," she joked.

He smiled at her loving how they could enjoy banter in the middle of sex. Enzo took both of her hands in his and kissed her palms, then he pulled her up. He sat back on the seat, allowing her to sit on top of him so that she was straddling him. Bonnie wasn't the tallest woman, so when they realised that her head was almost touching the roof of the car before she'd even started to ride him they laughed softly together.

Bonnie rested her forehead against his with her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"This one isn't gonna work either is it?" she said with a huge smile.

"Probably not," Enzo said smiling at her while he ran his fingers through her curly hair.

As much as they could have managed to work with the cramped space in their last two positions, with their supernatural strength they'd probably have to hold back to avoid wrecking the car or injuring each other. And they'd both rather let passion run the show than try to create a tamer version of what they did so well together.

Bonnie kissed Enzo on the mouth hard before starting to change her position. "Hold on," she told him.

She turned around so that she could straddle him again, but with her back to his chest. She reached down behind her to find what she was looking for and slid down slowly onto his erection. Enzo held on to her waist and raised his hips to match her rhythm. Bonnie leaned forward slightly, holding on to the headrest of the front seat as she rode him.

They both moaned with relief now that they could move more freely. Enzo slid his hands up and under Bonnie's vest top so that he could massage her breasts. He teased her nipples with his fingertips before moving his hands around to the back of her body. He ran the tip of one finger down her spine and she jumped, breaking her rhythm.

"So now we know who the ticklish one is," he said gruffly, still very much aroused, but unable to resist teasing her by repeating the movement.

She jumped again, "Stop," she said with a soft chuckle.

Enzo ignored her. He stroked her spine with his fingers again.

"Enzo!" she said with a warning tone as she turned to look at him over her shoulder.

He could tell that she was trying not to laugh.

"You know how you didn't wanna kill the mood by giving me a concussion... I don't wanna kill the mood by breaking your hand," she threatened him playfully.

He chuckled before raising his hands in surrender. Then, he wrapped his arms around Bonnie's waist and pulled her back against his chest, as he turned his head to kiss her on the mouth. They found their rhythm once more and continued to move together until their bodies found that powerful, overwhelming release that came so naturally whenever he was inside her.

#

When Bonnie and Enzo arrived back at the Salvatore Boarding House they were still on a high from the events of the evening. As they walked through the front door of the house Enzo was trying to tickle Bonnie after discovering that it was her weakness. She giggled like a young woman who didn't have a care in the world.

"Will you stop that shit!" she said laughing. "You really wanna find out if I can break your hand don't you."

"No big deal," he told her grinning. "I'm a vampire, it'll heal in minutes then I can just tickle you again."

She turned to face him and pursed her lips at him, enjoying their banter. He reached towards her as if he was going to tickle her again and she blocked his hand. He tried it again and she moved quickly enough that he couldn't reach her. Then, he grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder, using vamp speed to rush through the house and up the stairs.

Enzo's cellphone buzzed and he was going to ignore it, but Bonnie had a feeling it was something important.

"You should get that," she told him.

The serious tone of her voice gave him enough reason to put her down and check the phone. It was a text message from Joshua.

 **Joshua:** _Good to go. Meet me tomorrow before work, usual place and we'll talk._

Enzo looked up at Bonnie who was staring at him anxiously.

"Looks like we have everything we need to get Abby," he told her. "Are you ready?"

 _So much for life feeling normal for once..._ Bonnie contemplated.

* * *

 **Sorry it's taken me a while to update. Hope you all enjoyed the holidays.**

 **Thanks for your comments and thanks for reading. I appreciate your patience in continuing to follow the story. You know why I always end up posting more than one chapter... Because whatever I plan to write for a single chapter always ends up being too damn long, so I have to break it up into multi-chapters! I think I need to learn how to edit more, if anyone has any tips for that it wouldn't hurt!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Bonnie, Enzo, Damon, Stefan and Caroline had all gathered in the library at the Boarding House to go over the plan to get Abby out of the Armory. Enzo had already discussed everything with Joshua before and after work. Joshua had handed over the necessary supplies and they'd agreed to carry out the plan at 2am, when the Armory would be pretty much deserted apart from security staff.

"So I take it you gave Joshua something in return for all this stuff, right?" Bonnie asked Enzo looking at the selection of military standard supplies that were on the table.

"Yeah," Enzo answered.

"Cash?" she queried.

Enzo nodded.

"How much? It's my Mom, I should be the one paying for this," she told him.

"Don't worry about it," he told her.

"Enzo..." she said in a warning tone.

"Relax Bon Bon. You really wanna worry about forking out 50 grand on top of everything else when we already took care of it?" Damon piped in.

"$50,000!" she exclaimed. "And what's all this _we_ business?"

"The man is doing us a huge favour, and I already told you he's going through some serious shit right now. He deserved something extra," Enzo informed her. "Damon wanted to help, so he contributed too. You know how these Salvatore's seem to have a never-ending supply of cash."

"Ok," Bonnie said, trying to get her head around things. "Feels like I'm in _'The Godfather'_ or something, but thanks, Damon..."

"Damon Salvatore actually has a heart," Caroline added with sarcasm.

"I think we already established that since Elena broke it," Enzo quipped.

Caroline and Bonnie looked at each other trying to suppress a smile.

Damon glared at Enzo pissed off.

"Ok, ok... Damon did a good thing. Maybe we can just appreciate it... Before he fucks up again," Stefan joked.

They all looked at him, shocked by his blatant sarcasm.

"Fuck you!" Damon said to his brother.

" _Damon,_ " Bonnie said a little loudly to get his attention. "Thank you. Really. It means a lot."

As much as Damon had his issues, he wasn't all bad. And he would never openly admit it, but the way that Abby had tried to protect her family had brought out some degree of compassion in him. Abby's way of dealing with what she had done may have been flawed, but there was no denying that she loved her daughter, and she would have done anything for her. He wished he could say that about his own mother.

"Ok, so back to the plan," Stefan said.

"Right," Enzo responded. "Joshua is going to disable Abby's microchip, so one of the first things we need to do when we get her out of there is to remove it before they get it working again. He'll create a blackout as a distraction, which'll also kill the security cameras. So we'll be working in blackout lighting. He'll disable the relevant security doors before the blackout to prevent them from going into mechanical lockdown once the blackout takes effect."

"And this will all be done remotely?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah," Enzo told him nodding. "Almost everything is controlled by computers nowadays."

"Problem for them, advantage for us. Can't knock modern technology," Damon said to Stefan.

"We'll enter the building through the back on the lower ground floor, where they take in the bigger artifacts. Security will be at those doors, as well as some of the others. That's where the sleeping gas comes in, it's guaranteed to knock them out for at least 90 minutes, unlike a blow to the head," Enzo told them.

"Seriously!?" Damon queried. "I thought we were gonna blow the place up, and what's with the sleeping gas? Can't we just kill anybody that gets in the way?"

"I was all for blowing the place up too, but why bother when we have somebody who can get us in there with less drama?" Bonnie reasoned. "As for killing random people, I know that's your _'thing'_ , but it's not _mine_ , unless they're trying to kill me. Those people are _human_. I'm sure Stefan and Caroline don't wanna go in there snapping their necks unless they have to. I don't think Enzo's too enthusiastic about slaughtering all of his colleagues if he can avoid it too."

"You're being naive Bon Bon," Damon warned her. "The security guards at the Armory would probably kill us on sight-"

"Actually, they're more likely to try and capture you than kill you," Enzo corrected Damon. "If someone gets past security in that place it's more likely that they're supernatural than human..."

"And the Armory wouldn't wanna miss out on an opportunity for an experiment," Bonnie finished his sentence for him.

"Exactly," Enzo agreed. "The point is we don't want to go in there and draw attention to ourselves so that we get rushed by security before we get anywhere near Abby. It's best to go in as quietly as possible and save the chaos for when we're almost out of there."

Stefan, Caroline and Bonnie nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, as you can see," Enzo said gesturing to the table, "There are lethal and non-lethal grenades too if we need to use them. There are tranquilizer guns as well but the gas is easier to use."

"So what kind of weapons do the Armory's security guards carry?" Caroline questioned.

"Vervain tranquilizers, normal tranquilizers, stun guns... silver bullets, regular bullets, wooden stake guns..." Enzo told her.

"Huntress blood?" Bonnie asked.

Enzo nodded. "They probably do now... Just in case... Anyway, each time we're about to approach a security we need to release the gas. Failing that we do what we have to do to incapacitate them. Between the blackout lighting and the gas we should be unidentifiable."

"Will the gas have any effect on us?" Caroline queried.

"Not much. I tested it out and it made me feel slightly drowsy for about half a second," Enzo informed her.

"You know I can knock people out in a second with a pressure point move," Bonnie said matter-of-factly.

"I'm aware. But you're still not going near the place," Enzo asserted.

Bonnie was about to protest but Enzo cut her off before she could get a word out.

"The sleeping gas will have more of an effect on you and before you ask I'm not giving you a gas mask. And did you _not_ hear what I said about the Armory capturing people?" he told her firmly. "It was easy enough for me to put two and two together to figure out who you were..."

"She's my _Mom_ ," Bonnie said to Enzo. "I should be the one going in there and getting her out. I can't just wait around while somebody else does all the work," she added sadly but with determination.

"I know she's your Mum, Bonnie. And she sacrificed a lot to protect you. If something goes wrong and you end up as the Armory's next prisoner, _or dead_ , her sacrifice will be for nothing," Enzo told her annoyed. "You need to drop the ego and realize that we're not just _'somebody else'_. We're people who want to protect _you_ as well. And you going into that building is an unecessary risk."

"He's right Bon," Caroline agreed. "You risk your life to protect people all the time. You need to take a step back and let us do what we need to do to help you... _and_ Abby."

Bonnie looked back and forth between Caroline and Enzo. She knew they were right, but she felt useless. She protected strangers all the time. She couldn't help feeling that she _had_ to be the one who saved her own Mom. But she couldn't let her ego get in the way. The four vampires were fully capable of rescuing Abby if all went to plan. Bonnie would have to keep reminding herself of that while she waited to be reunited with Abby, feeling completely useless, even though she knew it was the safest and smartest option.

"So about Terina..." Bonnie said quietly, trying to suppress how pissed off she was about having to wait on the sidelines even though she understood it was the best way.

"Are you up for donating some blood?" Enzo asked. "We'll need it to keep her down when we get her out of there."

"What? Your rescuing her too," Stefan asked confused.

"Not exactly," Enzo began to explain. "We don't want Abby's escape to lead back to us. If we take Terina too it'll make it look like the Heretics got her out of there and took Abby as well so that the Armory doesn't have a future supply of Huntress blood anymore."

"And, if we have Terina she'll be useful in putting the Heretics down," Damon added.

"So basically, she'll be a hostage," Caroline concluded.

"You got it blondie," Damon said to Caroline.

Caroline glared at Damon, not appreciating the nickname.

"You think the Armory'll fall for it. Wouldn't the Heretics just kill everybody to get to Terina?" Stefan asked.

"Maybe," Bonnie told him. "But being targeted by the Armory had them running scared more than once. They don't know who they are or how they were able to find and capture one of them. All they know is that they have another powerful enemy, one who could take them down without them seeing it coming. Their number one priority would be getting Terina out of there, and they can use teleportation spells to get in and out of a place in seconds."

"Teleportation spells take a lot of magical energy, especially when they're used to travel long distances," Stefan responded. "From what I've read a witch can't even perform that kind of spell if they use a lot of magic doing other spells right before that one. And it would take a while to recover from using that level of magic too."

"So they'd be more focussed on reserving their magical energy for teleportation once they found Terina rather than killing everyone in sight," Caroline said.

Enzo nodded, confirming their theories.

"Well, if the Armory doesn't believe the Heretics are responsible they'll probably think the Hunters are," Damon piped in.

Bonnie thought about Jeremy's safety if it did come to that. Then again, he was happy to use her to kill the Heretics. Still, she didn't want anything to happen to him. She'd have to cross that bridge if they came to it.

"The Hunters _don't_ know about Terina," Bonnie reiterated.

"That's right," Enzo said to her. "Either way, as long as it doesn't lead back to us that's the main thing," he said looking at Bonnie for confirmation that she had no objections to the plan.

She nodded at him reassuringly.

"I saw Abby briefly today to let her know that she should be prepared for anything," Enzo informed everyone. "Joshua will make sure any footage of me speaking to her is erased too."

"I called my Dad and told him to make sure he's out of town for a while, in case anybody from the Armory turns up at his house once they realize my Mom is gone," Bonnie informed everyone.

"Good," Enzo said. "We need to memorize the building maps so we all know exactly where we're going, and to be sure we know exactly what we're doing. We have 6 hours to go," Enzo told everyone as he looked at Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded at Enzo, ready to get to work. And they all spent the next several hours going over the plan, hoping that it would all go down without anything going wrong.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

At exactly 2am Bonnie and the four vampires arrived about a quarter of a mile away from the Armory. They had arrived in two cars. The plan was for Enzo and Caroline to team up and get Abby, while Damon and Stefan would get Terina. Bonnie had the agonizing task of waiting by the cars while everyone else took on an active role.

Joshua was waiting for a text from Enzo to confirm when they were outside the building so that he could unlock the doors and initiate the blackout. Stefan, Damon and Caroline collected the relevant supplies from the boot of Enzo's car.

Enzo stood in front of Bonnie near the door at the driver's side of the car. Her face was barely illuminated by the dimmed car headlights.

"Be careful," she told him.

"We will," he promised.

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on the mouth, then pulled away to look at her again. He let his hands fall away from her face to take both of her hands in his. He kissed her quickly once more then joined the others to collect his own supplies. Bonnie watched them all anxiously. She felt 'off'. Something wasn't quite right. She could wait until they walked away then sneakily follow them into the building to make sure they were safe. But she had a feeling that was the worst thing she could do.

No. She needed to stay where she was. Whatever was going to happen, she was exactly where she needed to be.

"It's time," Enzo said interrupting her thoughts.

He sensed something was up and looked at Bonnie, waiting for her to tell him what was going on.

"Ok," she said surprising him. "I'll be here."

He was relieved, but still had the feeling she was keeping something to herself. Pushing the thought aside he led Caroline, Stefan and Damon to the Armory. It was go time.

#

Waiting out of the security camera's line of view Enzo received the text message from Joshua letting him know that the all of the doors he'd need to get through had been disabled. Everyone had memorized the maps of the building so that they would be able to find their way with the disadvantage of blackout lighting, the sleeping gas and being on alert with security around the building.

The blackout would happen within the next 10 seconds. Enzo waited giving the security camera time to go dead before using vamp speed to ram through the large, heavy door at the back of the building. As soon as he spotted the 2 security guards manning the door he aimed the canister of sleeping gas at them, not giving them a chance to look at his face. They dropped to the ground in seconds.

The blue blackout lighting gave the place a cool but eerie glow. Enzo was just about to reopen the door to signal the others to come through now that the first level of security was down when he heard footsteps and the sound of a tranquilizer gun being fired. The shot missed him and Enzo was about to turn around, ready to release more of the gas, but he felt an arm go around his neck from behind and the tranquilizer gun pressed against his side. He flipped his attacker over his head in a split second, slamming him to the ground, then blasted him in the face with the sleeping gas.

Enzo looked down at his now unconscious attacker. It was another security guard. And he didn't look too good, but Enzo didn't have time to worry about that. He was about to reopen the door when Damon, Stefan and Caroline burst through.

"You took too long," Damon said as he led the others inside. "I thought you were trying to avoid killing people," he added looking at the security guard on the floor, who had a small pool of blood near the back of his head.

"I don't think he's dead...yet," Enzo told him.

Caroline was about to check the man to see if he was alive.

"Leave him," Enzo told her. "We don't have time."

They had less than 90 minutes to find Abby and Terina and get out of there so they went their separate ways – Caroline and Enzo in search of Abby on the fourth floor, and Damon and Stefan in search of Terina in the lower levels of the building.

#

As Damon and Stefan approached the first set of security guards Stefan released the sleeping gas, while Damon couldn't resist smashing one of the guards faces into the door to knock him out a little bit more.

"Do you have to?" Stefan asked disgusted.

"We want it to look realistic don't we? The Heretics wouldn't come in here without laying a finger on anybody," Damon reasoned mischievously.

Stefan just shook his head and sighed. Damon had a point, but Stefan knew he was getting violent for his own amusement rather than for the cause.

As they approached the second set of guards Stefan released the gas again while this time Damon threw both of the guards against the walls, shrugging his shoulders afterwards as if it was nothing.

By the time they reached the last set of guards Damon decided to pistol whip both men with their own guns to change things up a little. Stefan didn't even see the point in using the gas anymore, but sprayed it to be on the safe side to keep them down for the 90 minutes.

The brothers opened the door of Terina's cell to find her sleeping. Damon reached her first, taking out a huge syringe filled with Bonnie's blood. Terina opened her eyes just as he was about to inject her.

"Who the fuck are you?" she said drowsily.

"The sandman. Sweet dreams," Damon said before injecting her with enough of Bonnie's blood to completely knock her out for a few hours. "One down, one to go."

Damon picked up Terina and threw her over his shoulder before he and Stefan began to make their way back out of the building.

#

Enzo and Caroline made it to the fourth floor, easily putting the four security guards they came across to sleep with the gas. Abby was sleeping when they entered her room.

"Abby," Enzo said, trying to wake her up before they took her so that she knew she was safe. "Abby..."

"Hmmm..." she said sleepily, barely opening her eyes.

"Come on," Enzo told her.

He picked her up once it was clear that she recognized him. Caroline walked in front of them, looking out for any security guards.

They made it down to the first floor when Caroline heard footsteps approaching them from around the corner. She signaled for Enzo to wait where he was with Abby while she approached the corner, then waited silently before blasting the security guard with sleeping gas when he was in front of her. He passed out fast and suddenly another guard appeared firing vervain tranquilizer darts from one hand and regular bullets from the other. The gas obscured their view but Caroline was able to use vamp speed to get out of the way and move behind the security guard. She used the gas canister to give him a blow to the back of the head then kicked him down before releasing the gas directly in his face.

"Let's go!" she said to Enzo once the coast was clear again.

And they rushed down the next few floors to get out of the Armory as quickly as they could.

#

By the time Enzo and Caroline reached the lower ground floor they'd caught up with Stefan and Damon who were just approaching the room they'd all entered the building through. Five security guards were now in the room checking the two unconscious guards that Enzo had put down when they arrived at the Armory.

" _You two go,"_ Caroline mouthed to Enzo and Damon.

They both nodded at her then used vamp speed to get to the door.

"Hey!" Caroline shouted to the guards.

Four of the guards turned towards her as she threw one of the non-lethal stun grenades. It wouldn't kill them, but it would mess up their hearing, vision and balance temporarily. The fifth guard had already started running away from the grenade towards Enzo and Damon after glimpsing them going through the heavy back door.

Stefan used vamp speed to reach the fifth guard and threw him across the room as Enzo and Damon made their escape. Caroline rushed towards Stefan. The other four guards were disoriented but began to take out their weapons. Caroline looked at Stefan and pulled out one of the lethal grenades. As he took her hand and dragged her through the door behind him she threw the grenade into the room behind them.

The blast blew off the door and sent the four vampires, Abby and Terina soaring through the air before they hit the ground.

"Considering you guys were so against killing these assholes, looks like you didn't have that much of a problem adding to the body count!" Damon exclaimed sarcastically.

"You get to a point where you just say 'fuck it' and do what needs to be done!" Caroline told him.

Damon responded with a surprised but appreciative expression.

"Abby?" Caroline said as she joined Enzo to check if she was ok.

"I'm ok," she said breathlessly.

Abby had a cut on her head and some minor cuts and bruises on her body but she appeared to be ok. It was still dark, but the blackout lights from the interior and exterior of the Armory, and the moonlight provided enough illumination for everyone to see each other.

"'You need to get her out of here," Stefan said to Caroline and Enzo.

"Ok," Caroline said.

While Damon and Stefan went over to get Terina, Caroline and Enzo helped Abby up.

The second Caroline and Enzo began to use vamp speed to get to the cars two blonde-haired women appeared several feet in front of Stefan and Damon, with Lily and Julian holding their hands. A second later a dark-haired woman appeared with two men.

"Did you see that?" one of the blonde women said to the other blonde, referring to the flash of movement when Caroline and Enzo had rushed to the car.

"What?" she replied.

The first blonde-haired woman turned around and used vamp speed to follow Enzo and Caroline.

"Go with her," Lily instructed the second blonde woman.

Realizing that they'd come face to face with Lily's coven of Heretics, Stefan and Damon were about to use vamp speed to escape with Terina.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Lily said ominously, lifting her hands as she used her magic to create a wave of energy that sent her sons flying before they landed on their asses with a hard thud.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Caroline and Enzo made it to the car safely with Abby. Abby was more alert now than she had been when they'd first gotten to her in her cell.

Bonnie stood as still as a statue when she saw the three of them slow down as they approached her. It was like watching a ghost appear before her eyes. The woman who she and her family had assumed was dead for the last 20 years or so was standing right in front of her, real flesh and blood.

Enzo and Caroline allowed Abby to continue walking towards her daughter while they gave them some space. Between the sedatives and the blast Abby wasn't at her strongest, but she instinctively knew who was in front of her and she found the strength to stand up straighter and take in the now grown up woman before her, with all of her senses on full alert.

Abby stared into her daughter's face, trying to see her to the best of her ability in the dimmed lighting from the car's headlights. She lifted her hand and stroked Bonnie's hair, then smiled at her with relief, amazement and pride. Abby shook her head in awe.

"I don't know what to say," Abby told Bonnie. "I'm wondering if the sedatives are making me hallucinate that you're really here, but..."

Bonnie smiled.

"I'm real," Bonnie responded. "I promise."

Bonnie returned her mother's look of awe, but refrained from physically reaching out to Abby. She felt like she was about to lose control of her emotions and cry. And as much as that reaction was fully justified considering the circumstances, Bonnie was still uncomfortable about showing that side of herself now.

"Why don't you get in the car so we can get you out of here?" she suggested to Abby.

"Ok," Abby said nodding in agreement.

Bonnie helped her Mom into Enzo's car, then walked over to speak to Caroline and Enzo.

"Are you ok?" Caroline asked her.

Bonnie nodded.

"We need to wait for Damon and Stefan before we take Abby to the safe house," Enzo said. "They're taking too long," he added anxiously.

"We'll go look for them," Caroline said to Bonnie. "Stay with your Mom."

"Sure," Bonnie replied.

Bonnie felt a change in the air just as she was about to go to the car.

"Caroline, go with Abby!" Bonnie said abruptly.

"What...?" Caroline asked confused.

The air around them moved, rustling the leaves in the trees.

"Lorenzo...?" one of the blonde-haired Heretics said as she and the other blonde Heretic appeared in front of them.

#

"Nice to see you too, _Mom!_ " Damon said to Lily sarcastically, as he and Stefan were still on the ground after being magically thrown around by their mother.

Lily's expression changed to one of disgust. As if the thought of acknowledging that this man was her child made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Nora, Beau. Get Terina out of here," Lily instructed two of the Heretics.

Damon tried to get up to stop them but Lily used her magic to hold him down.

The two Heretics took hold of Terina, who was still unconscious, and said an incantation to disappear from the scene. Lily, Julian and the other male Heretic stayed behind.

"If you're gonna kill us just get on with it!" Damon yelled at Lily.

"What would make you think that I want to kill you?" Lily asked with an expression that was a little more sinister than surprised at her son's assumption.

Damon scoffed. "You fucking hate us!"

"Watch your mouth, Damon!" Lily said admonishingly.

"Looks like you got some real balls since you left Giuseppe! _And_ us." Damon responded. "Shame you couldn't have been this tough when he was controlling us and beating the shit out of you!"

"Damon!" Stefan said in a tone that told him he'd gone too far.

Damon realized he was out of line straight away, and Lily wasn't about to let him get away with it. She used magic to break one of his arms and he yelled out in pain. She looked at him as if she actually did want to kill him, but then she looked at Stefan and her expression softened a little.

"The past is in the past," she said regaining her composure. "I have a new life. And apparently so do both of you. No point in looking back. We all seem to be better off without each other."

Stefan shook his head and snickered.

"You can keep on telling yourself that. But you didn't even try to see what life would be like with just the three of us... without Giuseppe," Stefan said to Lily, disappointed but not surprised by her unremorseful attitude.

"He took care of you in a way that I couldn't," she said trying to justify her actions.

"Money isn't everything," Stefan told her sadly. "And it's not like you were ever gonna be poor as a vampire."

Lily looked at him sympathetically for a moment, before Julian disrupted her emotional train of thought.

"Let's skip the family reunion," Julian said. "Why don't you tell us what you were planning to do with Terina."

"None of your fucking business!" Damon told him.

Julian looked at Damon angrily and used his magic to break Damon's other arm, continuing to twist it after the bone was already broken. Damon screamed out in agony.

"Enough!" Lily yelled, putting her hand on Julian's arm to stop him. "Just tell us what you were doing with her."

"You have her back now, what difference does it make?" Stefan said to Lily. "How did you even find her?"

"It wasn't too hard to track down one of the Hunters from the residue of blood at the Lockwood Mansion after they tried to kill us. He was more than willing to talk with a little torture after the vervain was out of his system. He told us about this so-called Armory and we put two and two together," Lily answered. "Now tell me. What were you doing with Terina?"

Neither of the Salvatore brothers answered.

"Ok. Have it your way," Lily said to them.

She raised her hands ready to perform some kind of spell. But before she could begin the spell armed security guards came out of the building. They saw the Heretics and the Salvatore brothers in the darkness and started running towards them. Lily took Julian's hand and they looked at each other, saying an incantation together. Seconds later the entire building exploded in a huge flash of light and noise.

Debris from the Armory flew around them. The security guards were thrown into the air and then onto the ground by the force of the blast. The Armory had been obliterated.

The sound of dozens of vehicles could be heard in the distance and unmarked cars started to approach the building.

Lily looked at her sons. "I really didn't want to have to hurt either of you. But take this as a warning," she said gesturing to the remains of the building. "Come near any of us again and I _will_ kill you."

Then, she joined hands with Julian and the other Heretic, who performed a teleportation incantation to get them out of there.

Stefan and Damon watched mystified as the woman who bore the title of their 'mother' disappeared before their eyes.

"Come on," Stefan said taking hold of Damon and using vamp speed to get away from what was left of the Armory.

#

"Valerie," Enzo said, identifying one of the blonde-haired Heretics who had followed him and Caroline to the car.

Caroline didn't waste anymore time getting into the car with Abby.

"They're not going anywhere until we know who they are," the other Heretic said.

Then she held out her hands and stopped the car from moving using magic just as Caroline was about to drive away.

Bonnie rushed towards her and grabbed both of her hands twisting them behind her back, giving Caroline the chance to speed away with Abby.

Valerie tried to use her magic to hurl Bonnie away from the other Heretic, but when it didn't work she realized what she was dealing with.

"A Huntress... you finally made a new friend and you choose a Huntress! Lily would be very disappointed," Valerie said to Enzo.

Valerie rushed behind Bonnie using vamp speed and pulled her off of the other Heretic. They couldn't directly use their magic on her, but they were able to match her in strength during hand to hand combat.

Enzo ran towards them to try and help Bonnie but the other Heretic magically propelled him into the air before letting him crash to the ground.

"Enzo!" Bonnie yelled.

Bonnie flipped Valerie over her head, slamming her into the ground, before snapping her neck. It would only keep her down temporarily, but it was enough time to take care of the other Heretic.

The other Heretic had performed a spell to give Enzo an aneurysm, then she sent him hurtling into a tree, where he hit his head against the trunk so hard that it knocked him out. Rage overtook Bonnie and she ran towards the Heretic faster than she had ever run in her life. Before the Heretic could even turn around Bonnie plunged her fist into the woman's back and ripped her heart out of her body. Then she turned the woman around to face her and showed her own heart, before throwing the bloody organ away and dropping the body to the ground.

Bonnie stared at the Heretic as her eyes closed and all signs of life were gone. Then she turned around to deal with Valerie.

Valerie had regained consciousness and sat up, looking towards the body of the other Heretic.

"Mary-Lou...!" Valerie said, seeing that the woman was dead.

She looked at Bonnie and ran towards her in a frenzy. Bonnie wrapped her hands around Valerie's throat as soon as she reached her. With her hands still around Valerie's neck Bonnie pushed her backwards into one of the trees with enough force to make its branches shake. She slammed the back of her head into the tree repeatedly, before smashing Valerie's face into her knee and throwing her into the remaining car, leaving a huge dent in the side of the vehicle.

Valerie stood up and used magic to break branches off the trees overhead and fire them towards Bonnie. A branch about 3 feet long sliced through Bonnie's shoulder. She tried to pull it free while she dodged the other branches being fired in her direction, but it was lodged tightly in her flesh, and her trying to pull it free only made her blood flow more freely from the wound. Bonnie ran for cover into the darkness of the woodland. She rested against a tree listening quietly, letting her instincts take over.

She felt the rush of air around her and sensed when Valerie was in front of her. Valerie grabbed her by the throat and Bonnie could barely see anything but all of her other senses were in overdrive. The pain from her injury was more intense, she could hear the frantic rhythm of her own heartbeat, she could feel the warmth of her blood dripping from the wound in her shoulder. The smell of her own blood was making her feel sick... Her blood... Without hesitation Bonnie used her hand to scoop as much of the dripping blood as she possibly could from her impaled shoulder, then she pushed her blood soaked hand into Valerie's mouth.

Valerie gasped allowing Bonnie to get more of the blood into her mouth, then she pulled Bonnie away from the tree and threw her to the floor, causing the branch that was lodged in Bonnie's shoulder to shift so that it was almost free.

Valerie wiped her mouth and tried to pounce onto Bonnie to finish her off, but the blood began to take effect and put her off balance. She fell forward onto Bonnie's side, fully conscious but barely able to move.

"What did you do to me?!" she asked confused.

Bonnie pushed Valerie of off her and found the energy to pull the rest of the branch out of her shoulder. She leaned over the now weakened Heretic.

Valerie realized what Bonnie was about to do. "Lily is going to rip your heart out when she finds out what you've done to us...!"

"And I'll be waiting for her," Bonnie said as she lifted the tree branch and jabbed it as far as it would go into Valerie's heart and through her body.

#

Bonnie dragged Valerie's corpse back through the woodland with her good arm.

When she got back to the cars Enzo had just regained consciousness and Damon and Stefan were there too.

"Nice work, Bon Bon!" Damon said referring to the corpses of the two Heretics.

"It's what I do," Bonnie said exhausted. "You ok?" she said to Enzo.

"I will be," he replied. "You?" he asked looking at her bleeding shoulder.

"Same," she answered. "We need to destroy these bodies. Where's Terina?"

"Lily got her," Stefan informed Bonnie.

"Shit!" Bonnie said. "Is my Mom ok?"

"Yeah, I just called Caroline. They're waiting for us to go to the safe house," Stefan told her. "Lily's gonna come after us when she finds out about those two," he added looking at the bodies.

"Looks like we're gonna need a witch for some kind of protection spell," Damon suggested.

"Good idea. Anybody know one?" Bonnie queried weakly.

"We need to get you to a doctor first," Enzo insisted.

"No. Lily's gonna realize those two are dead fast, and she'll come after Damon and Stefan first. Don't worry about me, I'm fiii-" Bonnie said, before she collapsed to the ground.

* * *

 **I hope you've enjoyed the last few chapters and I really appreciate your comments. I honestly expected the plot to move A LOT faster than it has too. But, hopefully I'm showing how the characters relate to each other so that they feel connected, as well as exploring why they are the way they are. Writing this type of** **plot is still really challenging for me with the supernatural elements, the fighting** **scenes, and all of the strategic planning.** **But it's all a learning curve. You have to write what you feel, but it's good when at least one other person can appreciate it too!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

The sun had risen by the time Bonnie, the four vampires and Abby made it to the safe house, which was a 2 hour drive away from Mystic Falls.

Since Bonnie couldn't be healed by vampire blood, due to being immune to magic, Enzo and Caroline rushed her to hospital, taking Abby with them. Caroline compelled one of the doctors and some of the nurses to sneak Bonnie into a secluded treatment area. She'd lost a lot of blood and it was thanks to adrenaline that she'd been able to keep on fighting against Valerie until she slayed the Heretic.

Bonnie needed a blood transfusion and had been given high doses of antibiotics, a sedative and morphine for the pain. Once she was stitched up the doctor was compelled to remove Abby's microchip just in case someone could still track her, and to check her over to make sure she was ok. Then, they took some medical supplies with them before they went to meet up with Stefan and Damon.

Abby had given the Salvatore brothers the address of a witch named Nikita, who was one of her mother's friends back when Abby was still in Mystic Falls. It was a long shot since Abby didn't know if she was still alive, much less still living in the same house in Mystic Falls. But luck was on their side and while the others were at the hospital, the Salvatore's turned up on Nikita's doorstep, explaining who they were, how they knew about her and what had happened. She used a spell to confirm that they were telling the truth and agreed to help them.

Enzo, Caroline, Abby and a heavily sedated Bonnie met Damon and Stefan at Nikita's house, bringing along a substantial amount of cash that they'd obtained in a less than honourable way, but handing it over to the witch as a gesture of good will. Nikita performed a spell on the four vampires to protect and conceal them from locator spells, so that the Heretics wouldn't be able to track them. Bonnie and Abby were already safe from being located because of their immunity to magic, but now that everyone would be on the Heretic's hitlist after what went down at the Armory, they all agreed to stay at the safe house for the time being.

Abby and Bonnie were each taken to a bedroom to get some rest as soon as they arrived at the safe house. Bonnie had been out of it due to the massive doses of medication, so Enzo had carried her to bed, made her comfortable and left her alone to recover.

#

It was 8am. Enzo, Damon, Stefan and Caroline hadn't been able to sleep, so they all sat in the living room drinking some of the bags of blood that Enzo had taken from the hospital.

The safe house was located on an old, unoccupied farm. All of the rooms were on one level and the decor was out-dated, but it was clean, comfortable and reasonably spacious thanks to the open plan living area.

"So this place only has 3 bedrooms?" Damon asked.

"Yes," Enzo replied. "I wasn't exactly expecting more than a full house when I found the place."

"Guess I'll be sleeping on the couch then," Damon concluded a little irked, since he and Abby were the only non-coupled up people in the house and there was zero chance of them sharing a bed.

"Or..." Bonnie began as she walked into the living room unsteadily. "Stefan and Caroline can share a bed, me and Abby can share, and you and Enzo can shack up together since your besties."

Enzo and Damon looked at her incredulously before smirking at her little joke.

"Very funny... coming from a woman in an open-back hospital gown, who's doped up on enough meds to get a whole high school football team high," Damon retorted sarcastically.

Bonnie responded to him with a mock scowl.

Enzo stood up to help Bonnie onto one of the sofas. She put her hand out in a gesture that told him she didn't want his help, but he ignored her and helped her to take a seat anyway. He rubbed her uninjured shoulder with his hand gently as she sat next to him.

Bonnie's arm was in a sling to keep her shoulder steady and she had cuts and bruises from the fight, but apart from that, and looking a little drowsy thanks to the medication, she was healing up pretty well.

"How are you feeling?" Caroline asked Bonnie.

"Not too bad considering a Heretic almost killed me... morphine is one hell of a drug..." she answered with a slightly loopy smile. "Not to be a pain, but are there any spare clothes around here? Having your bare ass on display in a hospital gown doesn't do much for a girl's dignity."

Enzo chuckled. "Yeah. I'll go find you some."

Bonnie smiled at him appreciatively. "I need to go check on my Mom," she said, when Enzo left the room.

"She's fine, Bon," Caroline assured her. "She's resting, which is exactly what you need to do... you should go back to bed."

"I needed a change of scenery," Bonnie replied.

"Not much difference between looking at the four walls in this room instead of the bedroom... but since you're out of bed can I get some sleep in your room?" Damon asked her.

Bonnie looked at him a little confused.

"What?" Damon queried.

"Just surprised you asked. Damon Salvatore usually just does what he wants," Bonnie told him.

"Well Damon Salvatore isn't the huge asshole that everybody thinks he is," Damon responded.

"I know," Bonnie told him sincerely.

He'd put his life at risk by helping to rescue Abby and take Terina out of the Armory. She'd be eternally grateful for that.

"You better make the most of it then," Bonnie said referring to Damon using her bed. "I'm sure Enzo will be forcing me to get back into it pretty soon."

"Too much information, Bon Bon," Damon said, knowing full well that the only thing Enzo would be getting Bonnie into bed to do right now is rest.

Damon got up to go and take his nap when he saw Enzo return to the living room.

"You know what I mean you perv!" Bonnie shouted to Damon, chuckling as Enzo came and sat next to her again.

"I've put some clean clothes on the chair in the bedroom. What did I miss?" Enzo asked referring to Bonnie's last comment.

"Nothing important," Bonnie told him still grinning. Then, her expression became more serious as she looked at him.

"What?" Enzo asked her.

"Lily..." Bonnie began, seeing Enzo tense up at the mention of the woman's name.

Enzo looked at Bonnie and then at Stefan.

"We can't save her," Stefan stated simply. "She's the leader in all of this. She doesn't _want_ to change. As far as she's concerned she has a new life. The Heretics are her family now and she'll do anything to protect them," he continued bitterly, not understanding how his mother could abandon her own children and be so devoted to a bunch of strangers.

Enzo looked at the floor and sighed. "I thought that if we could get rid of _them_ , get her on her own... Terina said there's nothing they can do to stop the binge feeding. It's a side-effect of the spell that made them what they are."

Bonnie looked at him, feeling his pain. She only knew psycho-killer Lily, but Enzo had seen another side of her. Enzo had seen a woman who treated him with respect and took care of him when he had no one else in the world. Bonnie understood this wasn't easy for him. But Lily was her target for a reason. She'd murdered hundreds, probably even thousands of people, and she would continue to do so. She couldn't redeem herself. There was no other option.

"Whether she's with the Heretics or alone, that bloodlust will probably be with her forever now," Caroline rationalized.

Enzo looked at Caroline lost. He knew that he might as well mourn for the Lily he knew right now, because that woman was long gone. Or maybe she didn't exist in the first place. Maybe he'd idolized her. Being kind to a dozen or so people couldn't make up for slaughtering thousands.

"All that aside," Stefan began. "She's gonna kill us. I'm sure she knows that her two minions are dead by now. She's gonna want revenge. And she'll kill anyone who was involved and anyone who stands in her way."

"What did you do with the bodies?" Bonnie asked.

"We burnt them right after you passed out," Stefan told her.

"Ok," Bonnie said to Stefan. "Enzo...?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I get it. Lily has to die."

Enzo looked at each of them then got up and walked towards the front door of the house.

"Enzo...?" Bonnie called to him. But he carried on through the door and out of the house without looking back.

Bonnie attempted to try and get up to go after him but Caroline stopped her.

"Don't you dare," Caroline warned her. "You're in no position to be going anywhere right now. He'll be fine. He just needs some space. He'll come back when he's ready. Do you wanna go get some rest in the room Stefan and I were gonna sleep in?"

"No," Bonnie answered, preferring to wait in the living room for Enzo to return. "You two go get some rest."

"You sure?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah," Bonnie told him.

"If you need anything, give us a shout," Caroline told Bonnie sternly.

"Sure... Do I still have a cell-phone?"

"Suprisingly, yes," Caroline informed her. "Somehow our cell-phones were the only things to survive fighting and almost getting blown up completely unharmed."

Bonnie smiled. "Could you go get it for me before you go?"

"Sure," Caroline said.

Then she and Stefan made their way towards the bedrooms.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Bonnie had fallen asleep on the couch. It was 9:30am when she woke up in the same position that Caroline had left her in after giving her the cellphone. She still had the phone in her hand and looked at the screen to see that there were another 2 missed calls and messages from Jeremy, in addition to the previous 3 she saw before she fell asleep.

Hearing the noise of saucepans along with the smell of food coming from the kitchen, Bonnie turned around to see Abby cooking breakfast. It was eerie. She hadn't seen her mother in 20 years prior to this morning and now it was like they were characters playing out some domestic scene from a family TV show.

"Hey," Abby said looking at her daughter with concern.

Bonnie smiled at her Mom warmly. " You finally have some freedom after 5 years of captivity, and the first thing you do is cook?"

Abby returned her smile. "Five years without a decent tasting meal... Damn right the first thing I'm doing with my freedom is cooking!"

They both chuckled.

"Are you feeling ok?" Abby asked. "You hungry?"

"Yes, and yes," Bonnie answered.

Abby walked over to help Bonnie up off the couch and brought her over to the kitchen table. She served up two plates of food and two glasses of orange juice, then sat down to eat with her only daughter for the first time in 20 years.

They ate in awkward silence for the first few minutes, glancing at each other with curiosity every few seconds. They didn't feel uncomfortable around each other, but they weren't sure where to begin the conversation.

Abby broke the silence first. "Your boyfriend is very organized, having all of this prepared after saving me from that shit-hole of a place."

Bonnie was a little surprised at her Mom's bluntness, but they were Huntresses, they'd seen too much and done too much to be subtle about anything in life.

"Enzo's not my boyfriend," Bonnie replied.

Abby looked at her in a way that said 'cut the bull-shit'. "You don't have to lie to me because he's a vampire, Bonnie. I know that getting involved with a vampire goes against nature for us, but clearly the man cares deeply about you to do _all_ of this for you. For _us_. I don't even know him very well but I can already tell he's a better person than most humans."

Bonnie's expression softened. This was what she had been missing out on throughout her life. The warmth, support and wise words of a loving parent. It was blowing her mind. She might not really _know_ her mother. But the mother-daughter bond that had been formed from the time her mother had carried her in the womb hadn't disappeared. Bonnie felt _that_ connection. She'd never lost it, she'd only forgotten it. And now she remembered.

"I'm not lying," Bonnie responded. "I'm not sure what we are. It's complicated. But yes, Enzo's a good person."

Abby smiled at Bonnie. Then they began to continue eating when the silence became awkward again.

"Enzo told you why I left," Abby said as more of a statement than a question.

Bonnie nodded in response gazing sombrely at Abby. Abby put her fork down and joined her hands together on her lap.

"Nothing in my entire life was _ever_ as difficult and painful as leaving you and your Dad. Not killing vampires... not childbirth..." she said with a chuckle.

Bonnie smiled with her.

Then, Abby shook her head regretfully. "I didn't know what else to do. It's like your Dad had a sixth sense – he _knew_ that somehow, one day, me being a Huntress would tear our family apart... he just knew. I hated myself for what I did and I didn't want any of you to know about it. _And_ if I'd stayed... it would have been worse. I would have been caught... I would have gotten the death penalty... people would have found out I had a family and they would have made your lives hell."

"I know," Bonnie said understanding.

"I couldn't put you through that. And I couldn't take you with me. Being on the run is no life for a child. But at least you still had your life. I will _never_ forgive myself for what I did to that little girl. _Never,_ " Abby said shaking her head. "She looked like you... I felt like I'd killed _you_..."

"I know, Mom... I know. It was an accident..."

"That doesn't help that poor child's family."

"It doesn't. But we'll figure out a way for them to find some kind of peace."

"How?"

"I don't know. But we will."

"Does your Dad know any of this? What about your Grams?"

Bonnie looked at her suddenly agonizing over the fact that she now had to tell Abby that her own mother was gone.

"I didn't tell Dad anything. I didn't want to get his hopes up until you were safe. We all thought you were dead... Grams...um..." Bonnie swallowed. "Grams died about 6 years ago."

Abby's eyes widened with shock and filled with tears. "No...no, no, no... no..." she said sobbing with disbelief.

As much as Bonnie had developed an aversion to emotional scenes over the last 5 years she barely hesitated to get up out of her chair and go to hug Abby as well as she could with an injured shoulder. She stood next to Abby, pulling her into her side with her good arm, while Abby wrapped her arms around Bonnie's waist and cried into the crook of her daughter's arm.

"I wasn't even here," Abby cried, her voice muffled as she pressed her face against Bonnie's body. "What happened?"

"...Heart-attack," Bonnie answered, her voice thick with emotion.

"...I had a feeling something was gonna happen to her... but I thought I'd make it back in time..." she broke off sobbing deeply.

And for the first time in years, Bonnie couldn't help shedding some tears herself. For the memory of her own loss and for Abby's grief.

#

Once they had cried out some of their pain Abby cleaned up the breakfast table and the kitchen to distract herself. She barely said two words to Bonnie until they sat down on the couch together and resumed their conversation.

"Where's your Dad now?" Abby asked Bonnie calmly, her eyes still red and puffy from crying.

"He's out of town. I made sure he left before we got to you. But he still lives in the house in Mystic Falls."

"And he's ok?"

"Yeah. He never stopped missing you... Things were difficult between us when you left, but since I came back, um... we're working on it."

Abby looked at Bonnie with a guilty expression.

"I know you had to leave. Whatever happened while you were gone is nothing compared to what would've happened if you stayed."

Abby nodded in agreement, but it still didn't alleviate her guilt.

"Who helped you through the transition?" Abby asked.

"Dad told me what little he knew, and then I decided to go and live with Lucy in California."

Lucy Bennett was actually Abby's first cousin. She was still a child, but several years older than Bonnie, when Abby had been in Mystic Falls.

"Were you close?"

"No. But I didn't know who else to go to. And I kept on dreaming about killing all of my friends... I needed to get away."

Abby smiled tightly. "How is it that my daughter, the Huntress, ends up with so many vampire friends?"

"I have no idea," Bonnie returned the smile.

She was about to tell Abby that Elena had been a vampire too, but then she remembered that Abby had been friends with Elena's mother, who died in a car crash with her husband before Bonnie left Mystic Falls. Abby had enough grief to deal with for one day, she'd tell her that news another time.

"So what did Lucy teach you?"

"Just the practical stuff really. Fighting skills... she told me the basics about what we do and our abilities," Bonnie sighed. "Basically that hunting is my life."

Abby narrowed her eyes. "If that were true Huntresses would never have families. Hunting isn't your life. It's a duty, but there's light at the end of the tunnel."

Bonnie was intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"She didn't tell you...? You really weren't close... You didn't think you'd be slaying vampires into your old age did you?"

Bonnie looked at her Mom with a slightly clueless expression. "Well... she mentioned that when we get older the hunting slows down, but she wouldn't go into detail. She was too focused on the present."

"Being a Huntress works in the same way that a woman's body does. You have your puberty phase, when you transition. Your prime fighting years, in your 20s and 30s. Then you have a kind of Huntress menopause."

Bonnie chuckled. "Seriously?"

Abby nodded. "When you get into your 40s... 50s... the dreams happen less, the desire to hunt weakens. And then eventually you stop. And you get to live out the rest of your years in peace. The only involvement you have with hunting would be maybe to pass on your knowledge to any grandchildren."

"Why didn't Grams tell me about any of this before she died?"

Abby's eyes began to well up again, and Bonnie almost regretted bringing up Grams.

Abby sniffed and wiped away a tear. "I don't know. But I can imagine that your Dad probably put her off. Knowing him he was probably hoping that somehow it wouldn't happen... I was gone, you already had that to deal with... Your Grams loved you so much, she would have wanted you to have a happy, peaceful childhood. If that meant waiting until the transition then I'm sure she'd think it was for the best too."

Bonnie looked away. Her childhood may have been peaceful, but it wasn't as happy as it should have been with her Dad's emotional distance. When she looked back up Abby was gazing at her suspiciously, but the issues with her Dad were yet another subject she'd save for another day.

"So what happens when a Huntress has children... I mean you still had to hunt when you had me?" Bonnie asked to distract Abby.

"During the pregnancy the dreams stop. We don't get the urge to hunt again until the baby is a year old. The protective maternal instincts are stronger than ever though. If anybody even looked at you funny when you were a baby I wanted to gut them!"

Bonnie chuckled as her cellphone began to ring. She picked the phone up off the coffee table. Jeremy was calling her again and she rejected the call. It rang again seconds later.

"Maybe you should answer it... since they've called so many times," Abby told Bonnie.

Considering the Heretics had annihilated the Armory maybe it was time for Bonnie to speak to her ex.

"Yes," Bonnie answered the phone flatly.

"Nice way to talk someone who just wants to check that you're still alive," Jeremy said in a cocky tone.

"I'm sure you want more than just to check that I'm still alive," she responded cynically.

"Are you ok?" he asked with genuine concern.

"I'm fine."

Jeremy was silent for several seconds before he spoke again. "Were you there?"

"What do you mean?" Bonnie knew he was talking about her being at the Armory when it was destroyed.

"Stop playing coy Bonnie, we both know you're not that girl anymore," he answered with a smile in his tone.

"Yes, I was there. Why?"

"Did you get your Mom?"

"Yeah. What exactly do you want Jeremy? I don't have time for small talk," Bonnie told him fed up.

"What happened to the Armory? Was that you?"

"If you're asking if I obliterated a building with people inside it the answer is no."

"So who was it?"

"Who do you think? Maybe you inspired them with what you and your _'friends'_ pulled at the Lockwood Mansion?"

"The Heretics..."

"You're not still trying to hunt them are you? Because you and however many Hunters you have with you don't stand a chance against them."

"We are and I'm I guessing you are too. But cocky much... Just because you have some extra abilities-"

"Look Jeremy this isn't a game. I'm not being cocky. One of them almost killed me, and it will be a helluva a lot easier for them to kill you. I don't wanna see that happen."

"You still care."

"I don't want you to die. End of story."

"So how exactly are you gonna fight all of them alone if they're so tough to kill."

"I'm not on my own."

"So what, you're still using Lily Salvatore's admirer to help take them down?"

Bonnie was silent.

"Seriously. That idiot does realize you're gonna have to take her out too, no matter what promise you made him."

"Enzo's not stupid!" Bonnie answered defensively. "He knows the deal."

"What?! And he's ok with that? Wait... are you fucking him?!"

"I'm not even gonna answer that."

"You are! A vampire..."

"Is there anything else I can do for you Jeremy? Otherwise I have better things to be doing."

"What, like Enzo?"

"Goodbye Jeremy..."

"Wait... we should team up again-"

"No."

"How else do you think you're gonna kill the Heretics?"

"That's my business."

"We can help each other..."

"No we can't. And stay away from them if you want to live!"

"But-"

"Bye, Jeremy." And Bonnie ended the call.

Abby had gone back into the kitchen to make coffee halfway through Bonnie's phonecall.

"Those damn Hunters are even more stubborn than us," Abby commented.

"You know it," Bonnie replied with a sigh.

"Your friends told me about the Armory and the Heretics on the way here last night. Do you have plan for how you're going to kill them yet?"

"I..."

Enzo walked into the house before Bonnie could answer Abby. Bonnie turned to look at him, noticing that he held his cellphone in his hand and had a perplexed expression on his face.

"What is it?" she asked him concerned.

"Alex is missing... They think she was inside the Armory when Lily and Julian blew it up."

* * *

 **Thanks for your feedback and thanks for reading!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"What!?" Bonnie responded to the news that Alex was missing. "What the hell was she doing at the Armory in the middle of the night?"

"Her assistant, Tricia, said that sometimes she'd be so focused on work that she'd fall asleep there," Enzo informed Bonnie.

Enzo walked towards the sofa and sat down next to Bonnie.

"That woman had some serious issues... Is Tricia the one who told you that Alex is missing?" Bonnie asked.

"No, I just spoke to Joshua," Enzo answered. "He told me that the security guards we didn't get to put out an emergency alert to other staff after Caroline used the grenade. They all turned up at the scene, but we'd all gone by then and there was nothing left of the place."

"So much for worrying about trying not to kill people and covering our backs... all that effort and the Heretics took care of it for us anyway," Bonnie contemplated shaking her head.

"Do they suspect the Heretics did it?" Abby asked Enzo, as she brought a cup of coffee with her to sit down on one of the chairs near to Enzo and Bonnie.

"Yes," Enzo replied nodding. "But they're not in a position to do anything about it. The place is gone. All of their resources, all of their archives... The Armory as an organization doesn't exist anymore."

"I'm sorry," Bonnie told him bleakly.

"Why?" he asked in a deadpan tone as he looked at her.

"It was your legacy," she replied sympathetically.

He shrugged. "And what did I gain from it?"

Bonnie nodded in understanding. All of those artifacts, books and historical records could never have given him what he really wanted – a family. For all they knew Alex knew nothing about his parents and was just using him, because if she really did have any valuable information Enzo would have found out what it was by now.

"So Joshua's pretty sure that Alex is dead?" Bonnie asked.

"99.9% sure. Investigators were all over the place _and_ Alex's apartment, and all the evidence points to that conclusion. They're working on identifying DNA of missing Armory staff from any remains."

Bonnie shook her head sombrely. "That place may have been unethical and immoral, but I never wanted all of those people to die," she turned to Abby. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm sympathizing with them after what they put you through for so many years."

"No. You're right," Abby responded. "I wouldn't wish for them to die like that either. They were human. Well, as far as I know... Our duty is to eradicate deviant vampires. It's not in our nature as Huntresses to kill ordinary _people_."

Bonnie looked at Enzo again. "What kind of investigators are dealing with what happened?"

"The secret government kind," he revealed.

"Doesn't that mean that the Armory is only part of a bigger organization?" Abby questioned.

"From what I've heard it was self-contained. But because of the extent of destruction and the type of organization it was, they needed to call in the big guns to prevent exposure," Enzo told her.

"So the families of the people who died will probably never find out the real reason they died... Or even what they really did for a living?" Bonnie considered.

"Exactly," Enzo responded.

"What's gonna happen to Joshua? He did all of this for us, now he has no job..." Bonnie contemplated.

"I'll make sure he's taken care of," Enzo assured her.

"So what happens now?" Abby queried.

"Well, since the Armory no longer exists it's one less problem for the two of you. The Heretics are still a problem we need to deal with, so we all still need to stay here. Other than that... I dunno..." Enzo said wearily.

"What about you?" Bonnie ask him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, not used to having anyone concerned with his well-being.

"Are you sure you can handle me killing Lily?"

He still didn't really want Lily to die. But there was no alternative. "I've survived enough drama and tragedy for more than a century... what else can I do but handle it?"

Bonnie stared at him compassionately. There was an emptiness in his eyes. He was trying his best to switch off his emotions where Lily was concerned.

"I'm gonna give you two some space," Abby said, getting up to go back to the bedroom.

Bonnie looked up at her with appreciation. She looked back to Enzo with concern. "What about this stuff with Alex... your family...?"

He scoffed. "The woman was a major pain in the arse, but I didn't want her dead... As heartless as it might sound though, I'm pretty indifferent. It wasn't as if we bonded."

"So that's it? Now that she's gone any connection to your family is gone too?"

"Pretty much," he confirmed. "I mean Joshua gave me the address of her apartment in case I wanted to see if there's anything there, but I don't see the point..."

"You need to go there," Bonnie insisted.

"Seriously...!? If I wasn't able to find anything about my parents by snooping around at the Armory what makes you think I'll find anything in Alex's home... A place where she barely spent any time because she was so obsessed with work."

"You never know... Maybe you didn't find anything at the Armory because it wasn't _there_."

Enzo looked away thoughtfully. "You might be right. I'll go tomorrow. Give the investigators a chance to finish what they're doing and get out of there."

"I'll come with you."

"No chance!"

"What do you mean...?"

"You could have bled to death just hours ago! You should still be in bed, not going on a road trip."

"I know you like getting me into bed, but we can't spend all of our time there," Bonnie joked.

Enzo chuckled. "Good to see you still have a sense of humour even as an invalid."

"I am _not_ an invalid!" Bonnie responded, pretending to be insulted.

"Whatever you say!" Enzo teased her.

"Come to bed with me and I'll prove it to you right now..." she bantered.

"I will come to bed with you... to make sure you take your next dose of medication and get some rest," Enzo replied with a smile as he stood up then took Bonnie's hand to help her to her feet and lead her to the bedroom. "Hopefully the morphine'll knock you out so _you'll_ stop being a pain in the arse!"

Bonnie laughed. "Oh... I forgot, we'll have to kick Damon out of the bed."

"What the hell is Damon doing _in_ the bed?"

"He said he wanted some sleep. But secretly, I think he's hoping for a threesome..."

Enzo chuckled, loving the fact that despite everything that they were going through they could still laugh together.

#

 _Bonnie found herself standing outside of the funeral home again. She saw the same black woman with the blonde dreadlocks from the last dream she'd had about this place. The woman walked through the doors into the building. Everything seemed the same as her previous dream. Bonnie had a sense of deja vu, but this time she didn't follow the woman inside._

 _Bonnie attempted to move, but was glued to the spot, until she felt like she was being sucked backwards into some kind of wind tunnel. And in a flash she was in what looked like a field. She began to walk until she could hear the sounds of people and music in the distance._

 _As she walked closer a huge building came into view and she realized that she was in the gardens of a country club._

 _It was warm and sunny. People dressed in formal wear were dancing, socialising and eating and drinking. Children dressed in smart clothing were running around. It was quite a beautiful scene. The flowers were colourful and Bonnie could smell their perfume._

 _She continued to walk until she was inside the country club. She turned to look back outside at the adults having fun and the children playing. When she turned back around to look at the inside of the building it was night time. She was inside a large hall decorated beautifully with lights, flowers and blue ribbons. There were various poster size pictures on the walls of a baby boy and a huge banner that said, 'God Bless Daniel'. It was a christening._

 _There was a large dance floor surrounded by tables. A jazz band played on a medium sized stage. Waiting staff carried trays of drinks and food while people sat at the tables. Some of the people and the children were on the dancefloor. Suddenly the lights went out and there was absolute silence._

 _The lights came back on and Bonnie gasped as she looked to the dancefloor which was covered in blood and bodies. She looked up at the stage – all of the musicians were dead. She scanned the room. The people who had been sitting at the tables were slumped over, blood was dripping from the white table cloths onto the floor. There were at least one hundred victims, including children._

 _The lights went out again. When they came back on Bonnie felt something cool and sharp against her neck. Five Heretics appeared on the stage in the blink of an eye, with blood dripping from their mouths. They looked directly at her._

 _When Bonnie realized that it was a blade being held to her throat, she jumped out of her body in time to see Lily Salvatore drag the blade across her throat, slicing it open. As she saw herself slump to the ground everything went black and Bonnie jumped out of her dream._

 _#_

Bonnie sat up suddenly in the bed breathing heavily. "Fuck!" she exclaimed in pain as she had jarred her injured shoulder with the sharp movement.

Enzo had slept in a chair next to the bed to give her more room to sleep comfortably and avoid causing any further damage to her shoulder.

"Bonnie...!?" he said, hearing her wake up.

He looked at her alarmed and concerned. He got out of the chair, switching on the bedside lamp, then sat on the side of the bed and stroked her face gently. She was still breathing heavily.

"Here," he said, giving her a glass of water that was on the bedside table.

She drank half the glass and then put it back on the table. Her breathing was still erratic but slightly calmer than before.

"What happened?" Enzo asked her.

"Another dream," she said trying to catch her breath. "I have to stop them... there were children there..."

Enzo looked at her gravely. "Do you know where it is? When...?"

Bonnie's breathing started to calm down a little more. She shook her head. "It was strange... It's before they're gonna sleep, but I'm not sure... Usually I can tell when... where... I think we have some time, but I'm not sure exactly where it is."

Bonnie looked down and Enzo realized that there was more to it. He took her hand in his. "What else happened in the dream?"

She looked up at him, taking several seconds to answer. "Lily killed me."

His face dropped. Then his expression became murderous. For the first time ever he had zero sympathy for Lily Salvatore. That bitch would have to die, even if he had to do it himself.

"Is it a premonition?" he asked her seriously, hoping that the answer was 'no' but knowing that her dreams were typically predictive or scenes of past events.

"Could be..." she told him trying not to look worried. "It felt weird...different from the way I usually feel in my dreams... I don't usually see myself like I'm having some kind of out of body experience..." She looked down again. "...I've never dreamt about dying while I was hunting before."

Considering her instincts were key to her survival, for the first time in her life they seemed to have deserted her. The dream almost felt as if it wasn't hers, she didn't feel as much of a connection to it as she usually did, even though she still sensed her surroundings.

"Maybe it's anxiety," Enzo suggested trying to put her at ease. "This is the toughest fight you've ever had. One of them came close to killing you... maybe the medication is messing with your head too."

"...Could be..." she told him with an anxious gaze.

Still holding her hand in his, Enzo used his free hand to stroke her hair away from her face, letting his fingers slide down her curls as looked at her determined to protect her.

"I won't let them kill you," he promised, with a hint of vulnerability in his gaze.

She smiled at him, in awe of how much he cared for her but knowing that he didn't truly have the power to stop them. _She_ barely had the power to stop them.

"I hope not... Otherwise I'm coming back to haunt your ass forever," she joked in an attempt to ease the tension and fear that had set in between them.

Enzo smiled back at her. Then he moved in to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. He pulled his lips away from hers to rest his forehead against hers then sighed. He kissed her once more then pulled away completely.

"Don't tell anybody," she asked him.

"About the dream?"

"Just the part about me dying. Especially not my Mom."

"Ok," he said nodding in agreement.

"Lie down with me," she requested.

Enzo didn't hesitate to take off his jeans and t-shirt. Then he climbed under the covers with Bonnie, making sure to lie on the side of her that was uninjured. She lay on her back and he lay on his side with one arm across her waist. She turned her head and tucked it beneath his chin, resting her hand on his arm and trying her best not to think about whether or not her dream was foretelling her death.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Early the following morning Bonnie and Enzo drove to Alex's apartment, which was 30 miles away from Mystic Falls and still around a 2 hour drive from the safe house. Bonnie hadn't told anyone about her dream yet, and Enzo had only agreed to let her go with him as a distraction because he could sense she was on edge after dreaming about her own death.

Bonnie's arm was still in a sling, but she was healing quite rapidly. Thanks to the pain medication she was reasonably mobile, and less drowsy now that the dosage had been reduced.

Enzo had tried his best not to show how Bonnie's dream had affected him, but the fear that he felt about the possibility of losing her was powerful. Abby had looked at the two of them as if she knew something was up, but they kept up the facade.

#

They pulled up across the street from Alex's apartment. It was a nice neighbourhood and the building was modern with 4 storeys. Enzo left Bonnie in the car to go up to the apartment on the 2nd floor of the building to check that no investigators were there. He was able to get into the building as someone was coming out. When he was satisfied that the coast was clear he propped the building door open and went back to the car to get Bonnie.

Luckily there were no nosy neighbours so Enzo used vamp strength to force Alex's front door open as quietly as possible, and they made their way inside.

The decor of the apartment was pleasant enough, but it was messy and disorganized. The front door led straight into a spacious, open plan living room/kitchen.

"Is this Alex's mess or the work of the investigators?" Bonnie asked scanning the room.

"A little of both, I think," Enzo replied, looking at the combination of books, cups, clothes and general mess on every available surface. "She was ridiculously anal about paperwork and artifacts, but other than that she was never the tidiest person... Probably because she was always bossing someone around to do the dirty work."

Bonnie smiled amused.

Enzo sifted though items in the living room and kitchen, while Bonnie made her way through the hallway, seeing the bathroom first and then one bedroom. She looked at the bed, which was covered in clothes.

"I can see why she slept at the Armory..." she shouted to Enzo.

"Yeah..." he replied.

"There's no room on this bed!" she added, entering the room.

There was a tall bookcase in one corner of the room, which Bonnie went over to investigate. All of the books related to some kind of mythology, law or science. Bonnie realized that since she'd walked into the place she hadn't seen any photographs of Alex or anyone else for that matter. There were no ornaments, no artwork. It was like the woman didn't have a life outside of work.

Bonnie turned around, taking in the room. At the side of the bed was a bedside cabinet with a lock on the door. The door was slightly open as it wasn't locked. Bonnie walked over to see what was inside it. As she pulled the door open she found a blue storage box.

Using her good arm Bonnie pulled the storage box out of the cabinet, onto the floor and opened it up. It was full of old looking paperwork and notebooks. She sifted through it until she came across a black and white photograph. Bonnie pulled out the picture to get a good look. When she saw the face of the man in the photograph she stared at it in disbelief.

#

"Did you find something?" Enzo asked, turning around as he heard Bonnie's footsteps when she entered the living room.

She walked towards him silently, then handed him the photograph. He looked at her, then took the picture from her and stared at it stunned.

"You found this in the bedroom?" he asked.

She nodded. "It was in a box in a cabinet next to the bed."

"This looks like it's from the 1800s," Enzo told her.

Bonnie looked at him confused. "How'd Alex get a picture of you from back then?"

They were so distracted by the photo that neither of them heard when another person entered the apartment.

"The more important question is, what the hell are you doing in my daughter's apartment?"

#

Bonnie and Enzo turned to the doorway to face a dark-haired woman who looked to be in her 50s. She looked good for her age and had an air of confidence and elegance about her.

"Well?" the woman asked again. "What are you doing in my daughter's apartment?"

She had an accent of some sort and deeply tanned skin.

"I'm Enzo St. John. You're Alex's mother?" Enzo said to her.

"Yes, I'm obviously Alex's mother," she looked him up and down. "A St. John, really?" the woman said sarcastically. "And who is she?" she gestured to Bonnie.

"A friend of mine," he said, reluctant to reveal her identity to this stranger.

The woman looked back to Enzo and then at the photo he was holding. "Let me see that," she requested.

She walked towards him and took the photo from him before he could give it to her. She looked back and forth comparing the image with the man in front of her, then turned the picture over finding barely visible handwriting on the back.

She looked at him again with a knowing look. "Well, unless you've discovered the secret to stopping the aging process and changed your name, this man is your doppelganger."

Enzo looked at her perplexed. Then, he looked at Bonnie, before turning back to the woman and taking the photograph from her. He read the tiny, faded, old-fashioned handwriting at the bottom corner on the back and stared at it for a while. Then he showed it to Bonnie. She read the man's name, his age and the date the picture was taken.

"Marco St. John... Do you know that name?" she asked Enzo.

He shook his head, 'no', in response.

Alex's mother coughed interrupting the moment. "You still haven't answered my question... What are you doing here?"

"I think we all need to sit down," Bonnie suggested gazing at the woman.

#

Once they were all seated on the sofas in Alex's living room, Alex's mother didn't hesitate to resume the conversation.

"Since you've told me your name I may as well tell you mine – I'm Aida St. John... How are you related to my daughter?" she asked Enzo.

"We're cousins," he said, not knowing himself how true that actually was.

"Why have I never heard of you?" she queried.

"I only found out that I was a St. John about a year ago, I'm trying to find out about my family. And I've never heard of you either. Alex didn't really speak about her immediate family," Enzo replied.

"Why does that not surprise me?" the woman scoffed at his last comment. "I take it you weren't close."

"No," Enzo answered bluntly.

"Alex has always been somewhat aloof," Aida said bluntly. "Even more so after her father and sister passed."

"In the fire at the Armory?" Enzo queried.

"Yes," she said looking a little tearful and vulnerable.

Bonnie thought it was strange that the woman wasn't more emotional over the fact that another of her daughters had just died. She looked at Enzo. "There was a fire?"

"Yeah. 12 years ago. A huge part of the building was destroyed..." he explained to Bonnie.

"Along with numerous artifacts, books and records... including information about the history of the St. John family," Aida added.

Enzo looked at her disconcerted.

Bonnie noticed his reaction. "You didn't know...?" she asked him.

He turned to look at her with a tense gaze. "I knew that historical items were destroyed, but not family records."

"Alex got you involved with the Armory?" Aida questioned.

"Yes. I worked for her... them," he said turning back to the woman. "I didn't know my family. Alex promised to give me information about my parents if I worked for the Armory."

The woman scoffed. "My daughter ever the opportunist..."

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked while Enzo remained tense and silent.

"I don't think she had much information to give. If any," Aida told them.

Enzo felt his anger begin to rise. Alex had been using him all along. But why? Why not just tell him the truth when she knew that neither of them had any information to share about the St. John family?

"My daughter, Yvette was only 20 years old when she and her father - James St. John - died in that fire. She always wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. She spent as much time as she could at the Armory with James when she was young, and as soon as she graduated from high school she chose to spend _all_ of her time there with him instead of going to college."

Bonnie and Enzo listened attentively. Enzo felt like he was learning more about the St. John family from this stranger than he had during the entire time that he had known Alex.

"Alex is the middle child," Aida informed them. "Virginia, my other daughter, is the baby of the family. She's 25 now. She's had her problems, but she's sorted her life out and she's studying psychology at the University of Michigan. She never had any interest in the Armory. And neither did Alex at first."

"That's hard to believe," Bonnie commented. "She was a workaholic."

Aida smiled reminiscently. "Alex has always been focused and hard-working, but extremely independent. She always wanted to become an FBI or CIA agent, instead of working for the Armory. But when the fire happened she felt so guilty for rejecting her family legacy that she gave up on her own plans and devoted her life to the Armory. James had been in charge of the place. Other members of the St. John family gave up on it decades before the fire. They thought it was weird and immoral. I can't say I disagree. I've always kept my distance from the place."

Bonnie and Enzo shared a look that indicated they thought the woman had good sense.

"Alex took over after James died. She was barely 19, but she reorganized and rebuilt it. She made it modern. My husband was so old-fashioned. He'd only agreed to introducing modern technology shortly before the fire, that's why so much information got destroyed. She tried to keep it to herself, but Alex has been obsessed with trying to put the history of the St. John family back together alongside running the Armory, but I don't think she had much luck."

"Couldn't the other St. John's help?" Bonnie asked.

"The ones who could are either too old to remember anything useful or dead. The others have no interest in where they came from. I first met James when he came to Egypt, my homeland, in the 1980s, and even then he was the only St. John with a deep interest in his family's legacy."

Bonnie looked at Enzo. He was still tense and in a contemplative mood.

"Is the mess in this apartment your doing or my daughter's?" Aida asked looking around.

"It looked like this when we got here. I think it's part Alex, part the investigators," Bonnie answered.

She nodded in understanding. "And the broken lock on the front door?"

"I'm sorry. That was us," Bonnie told her.

"I'll pay to have that fixed..." Enzo said in a quiet, distracted voice.

"No, forget it. That's the least of my worries," she said wearily.

"We're sorry for your loss," Bonnie said sympathetically.

"I've already lost one daughter and a husband to the Armory. Until someone can give me absolute proof I refuse to believe that Alex is gone too," Aida replied tenaciously.

Enzo looked at the woman, understanding that she didn't want to give up hope, even if it was a lost cause. "We better get going," he said to Bonnie.

"Did you get what you came for? The photo...?" the woman asked.

"There was a box in the bedroom. There was more in there," Bonnie informed her.

"You can take it," she said to them.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked.

"It's more use to you than me right now," she said looking at Enzo, sympathizing with the fact that he had a desire to find out about where he came from, just like Alex. "If there's anything else that you think might help you in finding out about your family you can take that too."

"We didn't get to look around much," Enzo told her.

"Well you can have another look. But please make it quick. I had a long flight here from Vancouver and I have to get back to my hotel after I tidy up here."

"Thank you," Enzo responded.

Then he and Bonnie quickly searched the place once more for anything that might help him to discover the mystery of his past.

* * *

 **Thank you for your feedback and thank you for reading!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Once** **again, sorry for taking so long to update this fic. Time and motivation have been lacking for me lately, so thank you for continuing to read the story and for the encouragement to continue writing it. And, as always your reviews are always appreciated.**

 **Like TVD, this fic will also be coming to an end soon so I hope you enjoy the final chapters. My comments on TVD's finale will be at the end of Chapter 35.**

* * *

 **Chapter 34**

It was still early in the afternoon when Bonnie and Enzo returned from Alex's apartment. Bonnie had received a text message from Caroline letting her know that she, Abby, Stefan and Damon had gone to a nearby town to get some more supplies, such as clothes, Bourbon for Damon and anything else they needed to be comfortable during their stay at the safe house.

She and Enzo sat in the living room staring at the box on the coffee table containing information about his family.

"Are we actually gonna start looking though this thing at any point today?" She turned to face him noticing the intensity in his eyes. He seemed eager but nervous.

"Yeah." He nodded with a serious expression as he turned to her.

She stroked his jawline gently with the back of her finger. "Ok." She kissed him affectionately on the mouth and he wrapped an arm around her waist, indulging in the comfort and intimacy for the moment. Being close to Bonnie soothed him; made him feel calmer.

"So, there are several different phases in a cycle..." They heard Stefan trail off as he entered the house with Abby and Caroline.

Bonnie and Enzo pulled apart as everyone came into the living room after putting the supplies on the kitchen table.

"Where's Damon?" Bonnie asked.

"You know Damon... couldn't miss an opportunity to find a good bar and keep himself entertained for the day," Caroline explained sarcastically.

Bonnie and Enzo shared a smirk.

"You took one car, how's he gonna get back here?" Bonnie queried.

"He has feet… he can walk," Caroline stated.

Bonnie noticed Stefan's amused expression.

"He'll probably call me to pick him up later," Stefan informed Bonnie.

"Ok." She raised her eyebrows expecting nothing less from Stefan… always looking out for his brother.

"What was that you were saying when you came through the door?" Enzo questioned Stefan, finding an excuse to delay looking in the box.

As much as he wanted to dig into that box and find out the truth about his family, Aida St. John's comments on the Armory and the St. John family made him feel that maybe the truth would be something he wouldn't like. Enzo already knew that the Armory was "weird and immoral", but for other members of the St. John family to reject _it_ and their family history too…

Knowing the truth was better than knowing nothing though… right?

"Stefan was telling me about moon cycles," Abby said to Enzo as she took a seat in one of the armchairs near the coffee table.

"Ok. You still haven't gotten around to explaining that to all of us… carry on," Enzo suggested to Stefan.

Bonnie looked at Enzo knowing he was delaying looking in the box. She and Stefan had gone over some stuff to do with moon cycles before but everyone else needed to know this stuff too, so she'd let the box go for now.

Stefan and Caroline sat on the other couch.

"Well, as I was saying… there are 29 and a half days in a cycle. There are several phases, but the 2 that I think are relevant to the Heretics are the waning crescent moon, which is also called the balsamic moon. And the new moon, also know as the dark moon. These phases are near the end of the cycle."

"Why are they the relevant ones?" Abby asked.

"The balsamic moon means the end of the old cycle. It's a time for rest, renewal and regeneration. The new moon or dark moon is associated with concealment and new beginnings."

"Concealment…" Bonnie began. "In my dream where the Heretics were sleeping in coffins, it was as if the woman who went into the room couldn't see them."

"They must use some kind of spell to keep their presence hidden so they're protected while they're sleeping," Abby concluded.

"Yeah," Stefan agreed. "Anyway, my theory is that during the balsamic moon the Heretics carry out their blood binge so that they can re-energize. Then, they find a new location to rest and settle, waking up when the phase of the new moon is coming to an end. So they have a fresh start."

"In terms of time, or dates, when does this happen?" Enzo queried.

"For the Heretics, from around the 26th or 27th day of the cycle. That's when they would binge; during the balsamic moon. After that point they'd need to travel, then sleep for 2 or 3 days. In terms of exact dates… the phases of a moon cycle don't happen on the same date every month."

"So how do we know when they're gonna go on their next binge?" Abby looked at Stefan expectantly.

"I can't be 100% certain. But from the information Caroline gave me on the deaths that seemed like they could be the work of the Heretics I would say in 2 days."

Enzo and Abby looked at Bonnie worried and surprised.

"Seriously!? When did you figure this out?" Bonnie was unprepared for Stefan's revelation. She thought they had a little more time. Anxiety kicked in… big time.

"This morning after you left to go to Alex's apartment. I didn't see the point in calling you and stressing you out when you weren't here so I was waiting for you to come back to tell you."

"How come you didn't tell _me_?" Caroline asked him.

"I didn't wanna stress _you_ out either. I've been trying to find some correlation with the dates for days since the reports were so inconsistent. The investigators always had problems establishing when the victims died. Made it a lot harder to figure out."

Caroline gave Stefan an understanding look then turned to look at Bonnie. "You ok?"

Bonnie looked as if she was on another planet. "Yeah," she replied casually, trying to appear as if she wasn't worried about Stefan's conclusion.

Abby looked at her daughter suspiciously. When she turned to see the anxious expression on Enzo's face and the way he was looking at Bonnie she was certain that they were hiding something.

Bonnie looked at Abby deciding to break the silence before her Mom could ask her any questions. She turned to face Enzo who was looking at her reassuringly. He stroked her hand tenderly, supportively. "I had another dream… the Heretics were at a Christening..."

Caroline's eyes widened. "Where!?"

"I'm not sure. But I have less than 2 days to figure it out cause there's no way in hell I'm letting them kill all those people. This has to stop."

Abby looked at her daughter proudly. Bonnie had inherited her determination. "You're not doing this alone. Especially when you have another Huntress to help you."

"Mom, you can't..."

Abby put up a hand to silence Bonnie. "I don't wanna hear it. I've been missing for most of your life. Now that I'm back I'm not letting you fight this battle alone."

"Neither are we, Bon," Caroline added.

"That's right," Enzo agreed.

Bonnie smiled at them all, appreciating the support. She looked at Stefan who nodded encouragingly too.

"So what do we do now?" Caroline asked Bonnie.

"If we could get hold of a laptop or something we can try and find out if there are gonna be any Christenings for baby's named Daniel within the next few days. It's a long shot, but you know how everybody likes to put their business on social media."

"We could use our cellphones," Caroline suggested.

"We could… but there's no wi-fi here," Stefan told her.

"Ok, so we go back into town and find an internet cafe or something," Caroline suggested.

"Let's go then," Bonnie said getting ready to stand up.

"You stay, Bon. No offence, but you look like you could do with some rest. You two look a little stressed too," she said to Enzo and Abby. "Stefan and I can go… I guess we can pick up Damon while we're at it."

Stefan shook his head with a subtle smile.

"Thanks," Bonnie said as they made their way out of the door. Then she looked at Enzo who was back to staring at the box.

"So what's all this?" Abby asked referring to the box.

#

Once Enzo told Abby about the contents of the box she offered to help go through it with him and Bonnie. They remained in the living room and had been sifting through the papers for the last 5 minutes. So far they'd come across general letters of correspondence and notes on the purpose of the Armory.

"What are those?" Bonnie asked Enzo regarding the papers he was holding that were still intact considering they were probably more than a century old.

"Birth certificates?" he replied as he scanned them.

She and Abby waited silently for him to elaborate.

"Nicholas George St. John. Born in Oxford, England in 1837." He looked at the next certificate. "Juliet Bellini. Born in Naples, Italy in 1840." Enzo looked up at Bonnie briefly before going on to the next piece of paperwork, seeing the encouragement in her gaze. "Marco George St. John. Born in Oxford, England in 1860."

"The man from the picture," Abby commented on the photograph, which they had shown her.

Enzo nodded quietly then turned his attention back to the papers in his hand. He stared at the next one for almost a minute before speaking.

"Enzo…?" Bonnie said quietly.

"Lorenzo Vincente St. John. Born in Oxford, England in 1876." He stared at the birth certificate.

"That's you."

"Yeah," he answered after several seconds.

Enzo looked at Bonnie again. She smiled at him softly, and he returned her smile, finally feeling like he had roots.

"Nicholas and Juliet are… _were_... my parents." He looked back at one of the previous certificates. "Marco was my brother." He looked through the paperwork again and chuckled quietly.

"What?" Bonnie asked.

"My middle name, Vincente, is after my mother's father."

Bonnie put down the paperwork that was in her hand and put her hand over his. "They couldn't have abandoned you for no reason."

He looked back at her with some sense of relief and hope about his family and their reasons for disappearing from his life.

"You said Marco _was_ your brother," Abby interrupted. They almost forgot she was there since she'd been so quiet.

"Yes," Enzo informed her.

"Are you sure he's not still "alive"?" Abby asked him.

Enzo's eyes widened as he tried to understand what Abby was getting at.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

Abby held out a small, brown leather notebook towards them.

 **#**

"What does it say?" Bonnie asked eagerly.

Enzo began reading through the notebook that Abby had handed to him. "It's describing an experiment. Typical Armory stuff," he said sarcastically. "They managed to capture a werewolf, in human form, then lock him up in a cage just before his transition with a vampire, to see who was stronger. A fight to the death."

"Who won?" Bonnie asked with a snigger.

Enzo sat up straighter. "The wolf did. But he escaped. It was the first time they'd captured one and the cell wasn't strong enough. _'The subject killed 11 members of the organisation, including Mr. Nicholas St. John, his wife, Mrs. Juliet St. John and their 20 year old son, Mr. Marco St. John...'_ " his voice trailed off quietly.

"I'm sorry..." Bonnie began.

Enzo didn't take his eyes off the page and after a brief pause continued reading. "...' _However, due to consuming vampire blood to heal an injury just hours before the werewolf attack, Mr. Marco St. John, transitioned into a vampire. This was an unexpected turn of events, as we have been led to believe that a bite from a werewolf is poisonous to vampires and results in expiration. Our preliminary conclusion is that as Mr. St. John had not transitioned before he was attacked_ _he was able to survive. How this is possible we still do not know. Therefore, Mr. St. John is currently detained and remains under observation so that tests can be carried out to form a solid conclusion.'_ "

Bonnie put her hand back over his and squeezed it supportively. He loved the fact that even though they barely knew each other she was so supportive towards him.

Enzo had no memories of his family, so finding out he had a brother that _might_ still be "alive" was an amazing surprise. But if Marco was still alive, where the hell was he?

#

Enzo's focus remained on the notebook while Abby and Bonnie continued to go through the paperwork in the box. What she found next was sure to put a smile on his face.

"Look," she said holding a photograph towards him.

Sure enough a smile broke across his face when he took in the old image and read the names on the back. It was a black and white picture of Enzo with his family, taken when he was 2 years old.

"You look like your Mom… so does your brother," Bonnie commented on the beautiful dark-haired woman holding Enzo as a toddler in her lap, as she sat in a chair with her husband stood at one side of her, while her teenage son stood at her other side.

"Yeah," Enzo responded quietly as he stared at the image.

"Did you find out anything else from the notebook?"

"Yeah," he replied, disappointment in his tone. "A few days after Marco transitioned he escaped from the Armory. The notes say that I disappeared at the same time, so they assume he took me with him. I was 4 years old. Nothing else is written after that."

"Do you remember any of this?"

"No. It's too long ago. My first memory is of being in a workhouse."

Bonnie gazed at him sympathetically. "I'll help you find him," she promised.

He looked at her solemnly, then smiled at her briefly before his gaze became distant. "I appreciate that... I need a break," he said standing up.

"Ok," Bonnie replied.

"You should get some rest too," he told her.

"I'll make sure she does," Abby assured him.

He walked out of the front door leaving the two Huntresses alone together.

"Do you want something to drink?" Abby asked getting up to go to the kitchen.

"Did you get some cherry cola while you were out?"

"We did. Caroline was reluctant because of all the sugar, but she said it was your favourite."

Bonnie smiled. "Yeah."

Abby's expression became sad before she made her way to get the drinks.

When she still hadn't returned to the living room after 2 minutes Bonnie knew something was up. Without saying a word she made her way over to Abby in the kitchen.

Abby had been crying, which she was trying hard to hide. Enzo hadn't told Bonnie that he'd heard Abby sobbing quietly in the middle of the night with his vamp hearing.

"What is it?" Bonnie asked concerned.

"Just me being stupid and getting emotional because I didn't even know what your favourite drink is."

Bonnie chuckled. "It's no big deal."

Abby turned around from the kitchen counter and smiled weakly, then she just stared at her daughter. "I missed so much of your life…" She shook her head sadly. "...And I miss your Grams so much. She died thinking she out-lived me."

Bonnie felt sadness and then a small wave of anger. Helping Enzo to find out about his family, reminded her that her mother let her think she was dead, when she could have some how communicated to her family that she was ok. Bonnie could sense that similar thoughts were running through Abby's mind too.

For a moment she gazed at Abby with disappointment and resentment. "I should hate you for not letting us know you were alive. Grams told me that she and Dad hired a private investigator to try and find you at one point. But after a year there were no leads and they were told to give up… that if you were alive and wanted to be found you would be, in your own time. You could have just sent a single piece of paper saying, 'I'm ok'. _Or something_. Anything, so that we weren't in limbo."

Abby's feeling of guilt was blatantly obvious. "You're right."

"So why didn't you?" Bonnie responded abruptly.

"Because I was so wrapped up in my own guilt and shame that I made the shittiest decisions and you should absolutely hate me for that." More tears threatened to fall from Abby's eyes but she didn't want sympathy.

Bonnie sighed. "I don't hate you. I'm angry that we didn't have any answers, but I don't hate you. I don't know what I would have done in your position… I've already told you that I understand you stayed away to protect us..."

"A part of me hoped you'd all forget about me. I thought about calling and writing all the time but I talked myself out of it. I couldn't call because there are ways to trace calls. If I wrote a letter it could get into the wrong hands... A simple note saying I was ok would always leave your Dad and your Grams needing more answers, which I couldn't give them. At the time I told myself that no contact was better... But it wasn't. It was a stupid, selfish, irrational decision. Of course, when I tried to come back, fate intervened and punished me by preventing me. And I'm sure I deserved that for letting you think I was dead… but you didn't."

Bonnie's anger dissipated. She knew that her mother loved her and they were starting a new phase of their lives. She'd never forget the fact that Abby let them think she was dead, but she forgave her.

"Having you was a selfish decision too, especially with how everything turned out, but I'll never regret it. I know that if I didn't have you I would have handed myself in to the police when I killed that little girl. I love your Dad and your Grams, but it's different with your child. Deep down I knew I'd come back to you eventually. You gave me the biggest reason to try and survive."

Abby's sincerity touched Bonnie. "Did you always want children?"

Abby's expression relaxed and softened. "Yeah. Always. When I transitioned I thought it wasn't a good idea considering the danger of what we do. But, I wanted to live my life too, live out some of my dreams. Is that something you've thought about? Having children?"

Bonnie shook her head slightly. "Maybe when I was younger, but like you, after the transition and especially growing up without you... I don't know if I could."

She wasn't eager to admit it to Abby but she also never thought she'd find a man she _wanted_ to settled down with. Enzo's face came to mind… Even if a relationship did work out between them, they couldn't actually have children… unless they adopted… or got a sperm donor… _Okay, there's no point even going there, we've known each other for 2 minutes..._

Abby interrupted her thoughts. "Don't let what's happened so far in your life prevent you from living your life the way you really want to. We might have been instilled with the abilities to fight vampires but that's not our only purpose for living."

Bonnie nodded, remembering Caroline speaking similar words.

"Changing the subject..." Abby began. "What are you and Enzo hiding?"

"What do you mean?"

"The worried looks you two keep on sharing when we talk about the Heretics."

"I'm just generally... anxious..."

Abby crossed her arms across her chest and put on a stern expression. Bonnie looked away, but Abby noticed the hint of fear in her eyes first.

"You think you're gonna die."

Bonnie couldn't look her in the eyes. She knew first hand how strong a Huntresses instincts were. There was no point in trying to lie.

"I had a dream," Bonnie said quietly focussing her gaze on Abby's face.

"Ok," Abby responded calmly.

Bonnie's eyes narrowed in confusion. Her Mom reacted as if it was nothing. As if a Huntresses dreams weren't often premonitions.

"It happens," Abby explained. "It doesn't mean that's your fate."

"How do you know?" Bonnie was skeptical.

"You're not the first Huntress to dream about being killed by a target. Trust me… personal experience. When you were 2 years old I dreamt about being killed on more than one occasion. At the time your grams reassured me that those kinds of dreams have happened to other Huntresses, when they were feeling vulnerable in their personal lives."

"Did Grams know other Huntresses?"

"A few… So... what has you feeling vulnerable? I know that the Heretics are more… challenging to kill than the average vampire, but it's not that. So, what is it?"

Bonnie shook her head.

"You don't wanna talk about? Ok, well just remember, you're still human. You're allowed to feel everything you need to feel. Once you accept those feelings instead of trying to push them to the back of your mind you can choose how you handle them. You'll feel a lot freer, trust me."

"Ok." Bonnie nodded, ready to take her mother's advice.

#

When Caroline, Stefan and Damon returned to the safe house, Abby was in the bedroom sleeping, Enzo was in the living room re-reading some of the paperwork from the box and Bonnie was in the kitchen getting a snack.

She'd taken off the sling now as her injured shoulder was healing up nicely and she'd only needed a few doses of pain medication so far that day.

Caroline and Stefan joined Enzo in the living room, while Damon joined Bonnie in the kitchen.

"What's up with Enzo?" Damon asked Bonnie, watching him as he studied the paperwork in his hand intensely.

Bonnie turned to look at Enzo too. "He found out who his parents are and what happened to them."

"No shit! It's about time he got a lead. I feel kinda bad though. You guys have all been doing research all day while I was investigating some of the bars in town."

"Well, we expect nothing more from you, Damon, so don't worry about it," she joked sarcastically.

Damon rolled his eyes.

She smirked at him. "It was a joke, Damon. I know you're fully capable of putting in work when you have to."

Damon twisted his mouth. "So what can I do?"

"I don't know. I need to work with Caroline and Stefan..." Bonnie thought for a moment as she watched Enzo. "Actually, you could help Enzo figure out how to find his brother."

"There's a brother too?"

"Yeah, and it turns out he's a vampire."

"Seriously!?"

Bonnie nodded.

"Do you have any leads?"

"Not a single one, so far."

"Then I guess we need a witch for a locator spell. I'll call Nikita."

"Thanks. There's one more thing you can do for me."

"Whatever you need."

"Find the family of the child my Mom…" Bonnie couldn't say the last word of the sentence.

"I get it," Damon gazed at her sympathetically. "Wait… does it involve research?"

"Probably."

Damon looked reluctant to carry out that last task.

"Get Stefan to help if you need to."

"Yeah, he's better at that kinda stuff."

"Right. Now all I have to do is figure out where this Christening is taking place and how to prevent a blood-binge massacre..."


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

After speaking to Damon, Nikita agreed to meet him and Enzo that evening to help locate Enzo's brother, Marco. They'd chosen a motel in between Mystic Falls and the safe house.

"Did you purposely choose the seediest motel you could possibly find in this town?" Enzo teased Damon as they stood next to the car outside the motel.

"Trust me when I say that compared to the others around here this is a 5 star _hotel_."

Enzo gave him an _'Are you kidding me?'_ look. He scanned the area taking in his surroundings. There was a sea of trash on the ground around them and at least two rats had run past them in the last minute. A completely hammered man staggered past the row of battered looking doors then stopped at one of them, attempting to open the door with a key and practically falling over his own feet in the process, even though he wasn't actually walking anymore. How he knew which room was his in that state was beyond belief.

"Does Nikita know what this place is like?" Enzo queried.

"We'll find out when she gets here," Damon answered.

"Let's hope she doesn't mind looking like a prostitute meeting up with two shady men at a dirty motel," Enzo said sarcastically.

Damon chuckled. "Here she is."

Nikita pulled up next to them and got out of her car. She was a petite Filipino woman in her early 60s. Something about her resembled Kat Von D, minus the tattoos, and she was into vintage fashion. Tonight the outfit of choice was 1950s style capri pants with a shirt tied at the waist and peep-toe heels.

"Gentlemen," she said greeting Enzo and Damon once she was out of the car.

As she looked around her smile disappeared and was replaced by the look of someone whojust had a pile of dog shit shoved right up under their nose.

"What the fuck kinda shit-hole is this you made me leave my comfortable home for at this time of night!?" she exclaimed.

"It's not that late," Damon responded ignoring the earlier part of her comment.

"Not the point, mate," Enzo told him.

"People are gonna think I'm a prostitute meeting up with two shady johns!"

Enzo chuckled. "I already told him that."

She looked around again. "Look, let's just get this over with," she walked ahead of the two vampires shaking her head. "I better not catch a fucking disease from this place…!"

Enzo chuckled again as he and Damon followed her to the motel's reception to hire a room.

#

"So basically this brother of yours could be anywhere on the planet and you're not even certain he's "alive"?" Nikita asked Enzo.

"Exactly," he replied.

"Ok. I like a challenge. Do you have anything that belongs to him?"

"Not a damn thing."

"Even better," she responded with a hint of sarcasm this time.

"All I have is this picture." He handed the photograph of Marco that Bonnie first found at Alex's apartment to Nikita.

"Jesus, you two almost look like twins."

"I know," Enzo agreed.

"So you just need to do a locator spell right?" Damon queried, trying to speed things along.

"I could try it. But to be honest I'd rather try something else I've been working on."

"Something more reliable than a locator spell?" Enzo questioned.

"Potentially."

"Potentially isn't good enough. We need something that will definitely work," Damon piped in.

"Look," she ignored Damon and faced Enzo, "you said he escaped because he was gonna be experimented on, right?"

"Yes."

"Considering he was involved with a supernatural organisation don't you think he might get some kind of supernatural protection from locator spells?"

"Good point," Enzo replied.

"I want to try something that is, for want of a better word, a magnet spell," Nikita recommended.

"Meaning…?"

"We use the photograph and some of your blood, since you're related, to perform a spell that will draw you both to the same place at the same time."

"How long does it take to work?"

"Two days. Well, I've only tried it once and it worked in 2 days. Trust me, I'm an innovator, I've never heard of any other witch or coven using it before."

Enzo turned to look at Damon cynically.

"It's up to you, man," Damon told him.

"Look, I'll try the locator spell first if it'll make you feel better. But to be honest, if he's still trying to keep a low profile he might not even stay in the same place for more than a few days and if he's on the other side of the world you'll never get to him in time."

Enzo decided to put his trust in the quirky witch. "Ok."

"Great. Let's do this," Nikita responded excitedly, rubbing her hands together.

#

Enzo flopped down onto the bed next to Bonnie in just a pair of boxer shorts after his shower. It was almost 11:30pm. She'd been sleeping when he arrived back from the motel from hell with Damon, but she'd woken up when she heard the shower running. He made himself comfortable, lying on his side with an arm propped up under his chin, while she lay on her back.

"This looks good on you."

She was wearing one of his t-shirts and it actually warmed him that she felt comfortable enough to steal his clothes.

"Sorry. It was the most comfortable thing I could find to sleep in, other than being almost naked."

He smiled at her. "Either one of those options sounds good to me," he told her as he walked his fingers up along her bare thigh.

Bonnie moved her hand down to where his fingers were on her thigh and linked her fingers with his.

"How'd things go with Nikita?" She asked gazing at him.

"Locator spell didn't work, so she tried something else."

"Really, what?"

"A new spell she created to draw us together at the same place and time."

"Sounds good."

"Did you find out where the Christening is?"

Bonnie sighed. "No. We found a few Daniel's but those Christenings are months away."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"I have no idea," Bonnie told him shaking her head. "Right now, I don't know what I _can_ do, other than wait for the next dream, but it might not happen in time. I just can't let the Heretics get to those people."

"Maybe I should just try and contact Lily for a meeting to draw the Heretics out," Enzo offered.

"Do you really think she'd agree to bring her "family" along to meet you without getting suspicious?" she asked looking at him like he was crazy.

"Maybe."

After being so determined to protect Lily Salvatore when they'd first met, it blew Bonnie's mind that he was now willing to lead Lily to her death.

"I don't wanna put you in that position," she told him.

"It might be our only option."

"How about we revisit the idea in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan." He smiled at her warmly and moved in for a kiss, giving her a sensual peck on the lips. "How's the shoulder?"

"Not bad. The scar is gonna take a little while longer to heal but the pain is minimal now and I can move my arm a lot more."

"Let me see." Enzo slippped the t-shirt off Bonnie's shoulder slightly then peeled back the thin gauze dressing. "Wow, you weren't lying about your ability to heal quickly." He put the dressing back in place and kissed her shoulder above the wound.

Bonnie smiled up at him as he leaned over her and placed a hand on her waist. His eyes were dark and aroused and she could feel his erection growing against the side of her thigh.

"We can't have sex while my Mom is in the house," she whispered.

Enzo chuckled softly. "I can't pretend I'm not disappointed but I understand and I'm not surprised. Besides, you haven't fully recovered from your injury yet." He slid his lips along hers gently. "But that doesn't mean we can't play around a little… unless that's off limits too..."

"Definitely not off limits," Bonnie said against his lips, feeling a throbbing sensation between her thighs.

"Glad to hear it," he replied huskily.

He teased her lips apart with his tongue and slipped it inside her mouth exploring it's warmth. She let her tongue intertwine with his as he lay back on his side, pulling her to face him so that she was laying on her good side. Slipping his hand under her thigh he pulled it over his hip and pressed his erection into where she was wet and warm.

"I hope you can stop before we go too far," Bonnie commented feeling how turned on they both were.

"Don't worry. I know when to stop… Just enjoy it for now," he assured her.

She smiled against his lips and wrapped the arm that was still healing around his shoulder, giving herself completely to a soul-searing kiss.

Slipping his hand up and under the t-shirt he let his fingers glide back and forth across her ass, then up along her spine, while she seduced him with her mouth. She shuddered, moving her lips down to kiss his jawline and his chin. Bonnie slid her fingertips down his bare chest making his skin tingle. When she licked his neck he felt the sensation all the way down to his groin.

"Ok, that's enough," he said pulling away.

"Already," Bonnie laughed.

"Yes, you're that good," he half joked.

She laughed again, then slipped her fingers into his hair, massaging his scalp.

He sighed and closed his eyes enjoying the sensation.

"What did you want your life to be like before you were 'turned'?" Bonnie asked him.

He opened his eyes staring at her thoughtfully. "I just wanted a normal life. My life started out badly so I didn't want much. A wife and my own little family would have been enough back then."

"You wanted children?"

"Definitely. I grew up without family so I knew the only way to have one would be to create one myself."

"And what do you want from your existence now?"

"Honestly, it's hard to say. A vampire can't necessarily have all of the normal things a human would have… But I'd choose having my own family over anything if it was possible."

 _This would all be so much easier if you were human_ , Bonnie thought to herself.

Enzo made her want a life she didn't think she would get to have. She knew he was the reason she felt vulnerable, along with the connection to her old life. Since coming back to Mystic Falls she had managed to live for the moment and enjoy herself. All she had to do now, was allow herself to let the feeling of vulnerability pass over her so that she could let it go. Once she did that she could finally embrace a future that would truly make her happy.

#

 _Bonnie was back at the country club where the Christening was taking place. It was evening. Some of the guests were dancing to the sounds of the Jazz band, others were seated at the tables. Children ran around and everyone was enjoying themselves. Then, they all faded and disappeared._

 _Bonnie turned around to the entrance of the building. Six Heretics stood in a row facing the entrance doorway. They were as still as statues. Bonnie walked towards them until she was in front of them. She walked past each one of them, face to face, and they looked directly at her but they still didn't move. They couldn't move. They were stuck. Trapped._

 _Bonnie walked past each of them again and when she was in front of Lily Salvatore she noticed the Heretic's face begin to turn grey. It was happening to all of them. Their flesh looked chalky before it turned to ash. Then a powerful but cleansing breeze blew the ash into Bonnie's eyes forcing her to close them. When she opened them again she was almost blinded by sunlight. She couldn't see her surroundings but she sensed that she was outside somewhere far away. Enzo's face appeared right in front of her, and as he began to kiss her she woke up from her dream._

 _#_

Bonnie sat up slowly in the bed. It was 3:00am.

"You ok?" Enzo asked groggily from where he lay beside her.

"I know how I'm gonna kill the Heretics," she told him confidently.

He sat up and turned to face her in the darkness. "You had another dream?"

She nodded. "I know when it's happening and where. Stefan was right about the date."

Enzo waited for her to tell him more.

"I know what we need to do… and we're gonna need some help."

* * *

 **So, what can I say about TVD's finale…**

 **Beautiful Bonenzo scenes (as is every scene they've had since 7x18, even the sad ones); sweet Steroline scenes; good Defan scenes; cute Bonnie/twins interaction; loved the way they showed all those who have passed watching over their loved ones.**

 **We needed some elaboration on that psychic dimension that Bonnie created, because that could have been an amazing storyline.**

 **And… No Bonenzo happy-ever-after, until she dies and joins him in the afterlife...**

 **(I feel it for the Steroline fans too!)**

 **I had hopes for Bonenzo sharing a happy ending together with Bonenzo babies, or even as immortal beings.**

 **As much as I thought the whole of 8x11 was executed amazingly well (and even all of the scenes they had after his death were beautiful), I hate that Enzo had to die, and so brutally too. What was the point of his death?**

 **It's difficult for me to imagine that Bonnie's life without Enzo (until they're reunited in the afterlife) would be as happy as TVD would have us believe considering they've told us he's the love of her life, the man she was planning her entire future with after years of pain, loss and loneliness, and he dies in insanely tragic circumstances... Then again, how many TV shows portray grief realistically?**

 **And this is where I remind myself that it's just a TV show and I'm getting way too attached to fictional characters! (It's hard not to be a little pissed off when they gave us so much Bonenzo gold, then he dies like that!)**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and please feel free to share your comments on 'HUNTRESS', TVD's finale and Bonenzo in general.**


	36. Chapter 36

**So here are the final chapters. I hope you enjoy them and any comments/reviews would be greatly appreciated.**

* * *

 **Chapter 36**

"It's done," Nikita said to Bonnie, after she and the eleven witches she had brought along with her finished performing the spell at the Ivory Hill Country Club, where the christening was taking place in Atlanta, Georgia.

"I owe you _big time_. And I really appreciate you coming out here at ridiculous 'o' clock in the morning," Bonnie told her, since it was barely 5am.

"No worries. At least this place is a hell of a lot nicer than that shit-hole motel Damon and Enzo had me go to!"

Bonnie chuckled.

"Well," Nikita continued, "my bed is calling me, and if you ever need anything you know where to find me."

"You've already done _more_ than enough for me."

"Your Grams was a good friend to me, so my door is always open to you, honey."

Bonnie smiled at Nikita. Nikita squeezed her shoulder affectionately as she left with the coven of witches, who were not related by blood, but felt connected by their innovative use of magic.

Bonnie stared at the stunning ivory building, surrounded by fields and an array of beautiful, colourful flowers. The country club's employees would be arriving in just a few hours, and then later on in the day the guests would arrive for the party after the christening.

Hopefully, they'd all leave the place alive.

#

Bonnie sat at one of the beautifully decorated tables with a few random guests as she looked towards the dance floor, glancing at her Mom and her best friend enjoying themselves briefly before all hell broke loose. Caroline had convinced Abby to let loose for a little while since she hadn't danced in years.

Caroline had also suggested that everyone dress up a little to blend in with the guests rather than all of them hiding out in the building, or sticking out like sore thumbs amongst the guests who were dressed in formal wear. Bonnie agreed as long as dresses/skirts weren't involved and whatever they wore was practical enough to do what they had to do in. So, the women opted for leggings or tight fitted pants, with smart tops, and low heeled boots. While the guys threw on button down shirts over dark coloured jeans.

Bonnie turned to look at the big clock above the bar. It was just after 9pm. _Where are they?_ Instinct told her that the Heretics were supposed to be in the building by now. Feeling anxious, she got up and made her way over to the dance floor tapping Caroline and Abby on their shoulders.

"Let's go to the guys," she told them. "Things should be happening by now."

"Sure," Caroline replied as she and Abby followed Bonnie.

Enzo, Damon and Stefan were waiting in one of the private rooms just off the main function room. Since the Heretics knew who they were it was better for them to wait in the background until Bonnie had them where she wanted them.

"Still nothing?" Enzo asked as the women approached them.

Bonnie shook her head disappointed. "Maybe this isn't right."

"I doubt that, honey," Abby told her. "It's one thing to have the dreams, but when you sense that everything is in place..."

Abby stopped mid-sentence as she and Bonnie stared at each other, sensing the change in the air at the same time.

"They're here," Bonnie stated, immediately heading for the bag of weapons under one of the tables in the room.

Everyone followed suit, before Bonnie led them back to the function room.

They waited discreetly at the end of one of the bars, and Bonnie watched, completely focused as Lily Salvatore entered the building arm in arm with Julian, a self-satisfied smile on her face. The other four Heretics followed behind them.

Bonnie felt her heart begin to race as adrenaline kicked in. She waited, observing them, with a machete in one hand and a stake gun in the other.

The Heretics followed Julian and Lily to one of the other bars.

"What the hell are they doing?" Caroline queried.

"Socialising by the looks of it," Bonnie replied sarcastically as she watched Julian down a shot, then chat and laugh with the barman.

"Julian and his pathetic jokes," Enzo commented, after using his vamp hearing to listen in on Julian's conversation with the employee.

Bonnie saw vamp veins appear under Julian's eyes and she knew that he'd chosen his first victim of the night.

The stunned look on Julian's face when he realised he couldn't grab the barman by the neck to pull him closer and take his first bite of the night was priceless. Bonnie didn't need vamp hearing to notice the words 'what the fuck!?' come out of Julian's mouth as he tried to figure out what was happening.

Julian turned to look at Lily and the other Heretics with an expression of such confusion that it was comical.

Lily tried to touch the barman and had the same problem. So, Julian reached out to the nearest guest to him and found he couldn't touch her either. Baffled, the other Heretics reached out to touch the guests too. But it wasn't happening. The Heretics were being repelled. The guests were literally untouchable to them, like repellent magnets, thanks to Nikita's spell.

Julian looked like he was about to try and siphon the spell from one of the guests, but Lily put her hand on his arm to stop him. The uneasy look on her face said that she knew they were in trouble and needed to get the hell out of there.

Without hesitation all six Heretics attempted to use a teleportation spell to get out of the building. Unfortunately for them, they weren't going anywhere.

They used vamp speed to rush towards the door leading outside, but it was pointless.

Julian, Terina and Oscar tried to siphon the spell out of the building. What they didn't know was that Nikita's spell used Bonnie's and Abby's blood to not only trap them inside the building once they entered it, but to weaken them if they tried to siphon it. The repellent element of the spell protected all humans who entered the building (not including Bonnie and Abby), while they were inside it. And again, due to the use of Huntress blood, if the Heretics tried to siphon it they could say goodbye to their magic temporarily.

"They figured it out," Stefan said. "The others won't try to siphon now."

"We'll just have to work with it," Bonnie told him. "Half of them are down and all of them are trapped. I'd say our chances are good… Caroline..." Bonnie looked at her friend and Caroline knew what she had to do next.

Julian, Terina and Oscar had collapsed, but were smart enough to stop siphoning the spell before it knocked them out completely. Lily, Nora and the remaining Heretic, Beau, looked around the huge room, unsettled, not knowing how the hell they were going to get out of the place.

"Party's over everyone. Time to leave." They heard Caroline say the literal magic words into a microphone from where she stood on the small stage once the music had stopped.

Like robots, each and everyone of the guests and country club's employees filtered their way through the large fire doors near the side of the stage. The Heretics were too perplexed to even attempt to use their magic at that moment.

Nikita had used a separate spell to amplify a vampire's power of compulsion. It enabled Caroline to get all of the humans to follow _her_ instructions just by saying the words.

Lily stared at Caroline. "Who the hell are you!?"

"No one you need to worry about," Caroline replied.

Lily gave her a venemous look, then raised her hand to try and use magic against her.

"Ah, I wouldn't," Caroline told Lily as Bonnie and Abby ran towards her, weapons in hand. "And they're the one's you should be worried about."

Lily attempted to use magic against the two Huntresses, and when she realised it wouldn't work she used vamp speed to escape, somewhere within the building.

"I'll find her, you take down the others," Abby instructed Bonnie.

"No." Bonnie resisted her Mom's suggestion.

"Bonnie..." she said in a stern voice. "You need to help your friends."

One of them had to stay and help the others since they didn't have Huntress abilities to help them fight. Bonnie didn't want to let Abby go after Lily alone, but Abby _was_ the more experienced Huntress. Hopefully Abby wouldn't find Lily until Bonnie took care of the Heretics in the main room and was free to help her.

Reluctantly, Bonnie nodded in agreement with her mother's suggestion. Abby turned to walk away.

"Mom..."

Abby turned around and looked at her daughter.

"I love you..."

She smiled at Bonnie's words. The fear of losing her mother again was written all over her face.

"I'll be fine… _We'll_ be fine," she said reassuringly. "I love you too. Always."

And then she disappeared to go and find Lily.

#

While Bonnie and Abby were having their mother-daughter moment Beau had attempted to use vamp speed to escape but was caught by Stefan, and Enzo had gone for Nora. Damon's job was to make sure all of the guests and staff got away safely before he returned to help them fight.

Bonnie's first task was to take down the Heretics who hadn't been weakened. Her and Abby's blood had no effect on ordinary vampires. Nikita tried to work a spell but it wasn't happening. They considered a standard protection spell, but since the Heretics could siphon that and it would give them even more strength they decided it wasn't worth it. Unfortunately, this meant that Bonnie's friends were vulnerable and she wasn't about to let anybody die helping her tonight.

She saw that Caroline and Stefan were now both dealing with Beau, so she sped towards where Enzo was fighting with Nora. Before she got anywhere near them, Nora gave Enzo a magical blast that sent him landing at Bonnie's feet.

"You ok?" she asked looking down at him on the floor.

"Don't worry about me, love," he answered gruffly. "Take care of that one," he gestured to Nora as he got up, heading for one of the other Heretics.

Nora looked at Bonnie and for a second she thought the Heretic was going to run away. But then, her face contorted. Angry was an understatement for the vibe Bonnie got from this Heretic.

"Are you the one who killed Mary-Louise?!"

"If you're talking about one of the blondes, considering she was trying to kill me at the time I didn't have a choice," Bonnie quipped.

"You bitch!" Nora screamed at Bonnie as she rushed towards her fueled by rage and the need for revenge.

Bonnie fired the wooden stake gun hitting Nora in the stomach as Nora jumped on top of her. Bonnie rolled them over quickly enough to break free so that Nora was on the ground beneath her while she stood up. She tried to take another shot with the stake gun, but Nora used vamp speed to get up and push Bonnie through one of the huge floor to ceiling glass panels of the building.

"Son of a bitch!" Bonnie yelled in pain as the impact of hitting the ground jarred her shoulder, which was not 100% healed yet.

Laying on the shattered glass just outside of the building, Bonnie ignored the pain as she saw Nora coming towards her. Nora couldn't come outside due to the spell and she couldn't use magic directly against Bonnie, so instead she used her magic to lift the nearest object to her and send it flying towards her.

That object happened to be one of the huge wooden tables that the guest had sat down at. Bonnie anticipated Nora's move and got up with enough speed to block the table with her hands and push it back into the building straight into Nora.

Picking up the machete and the stake gun that had fallen out of her hands after she went through the glass panel, Bonnie rushed back inside the building.

Momentarily trapped under the heavy table, Nora tried to free herself. The second she freed herself Bonnie used a flying kick to send her hurtling across the room.

Nora got up once more and Bonnie walked towards her calmly but dangerously. Her face still twisted with anger, Nora again used vamp speed to rush towards Bonnie, not anticipating that calm Bonnie was the most lethal version of Bonnie.

Before Nora knew what was happening Bonnie lifted the machete and swung it perfectly, slicing off the Heretic's head as soon as she reached her.

"One down, five to go..." Bonnie said taking a deep breath.

#

While Bonnie had taken out Nora Damon had returned in time to find Enzo kicking the shit out of an immobilized Heretic.

"A little lame kicking a man while he's already down," Damon quipped.

Enzo grabbed the Heretic by the hair, lifting his head up to show Damon who it was as he turned towards him.

"Oh," Damon said when he recognised who it was. "Lemme take a shot before we 'off' him."

Enzo smirked as Damon kicked Julian in the face.

After few more dozen kicks and punches from the two vampires, Damon held Julian up by the hair on one side of his head while Enzo held onto the other side.

"I'll do it," Enzo told Damon as he lifted the wooden stake that was in his hand, ready to put an end to Julian's existence.

"No fucking way, man…!" Damon told him. "He's part of the reason Lily left me and Stefan with Hitler!" he said, referring to his father.

"Yeah, and he fucked me over too knowing that _she_ was the only person who ever gave a shit about me! At least you still had _your_ brother!"

Julian chuckled weakly, despite his battered face and body. The two vampires turned to look at him.

"You're both bloody weak..." Julian said spluttering blood as he spoke. "No wonder your parents abandoned you," Julian taunted them.

The two vampires were triggered as Julian continued to laugh mockingly. They practically fought each other to be the one to stake him as they both maintained a death-grip on his hair.

Suddenly, they realised that Julian's head felt a whole lot lighter and he was now silent. When they turned to look at him they saw that his head was no longer attached to his body.

"What the fuck?!" Enzo and Damon exclaimed at the same time.

"Seriously… what do you two think this is, a goddamn playground?!" Bonnie said as she stood there, holding the machete that she had used to behead Julian while Damon and Enzo were arguing over who should get the honour of killing him.

Bonnie shook her head and walked away. Damon and Enzo looked at each other, slightly embarrassed by their behaviour, but also pissed of that they didn't get to kill him themselves.

They looked down at the Heretic's head, which they were still holding, before dropping it onto the floor as if it had the plague.

#

Stefan had both of his arms around Beau's neck, keeping him in a headlock in front of him, while Caroline tried to aim the stake gun at his heart.

"Shit! He's moving too much!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Use the-" Stefan was cut off by a searing pain going through his skin.

Beau held onto Stefan's forearms and was using magic to scorch his flesh with his hands.

"Ahh… shit!" Stefan yelled, releasing Beau from the headlock.

As Beau rushed towards Caroline she fired the stake gun. In the blur of movement she managed to hit him in the neck.

Beau pulled the wooden stake out of his neck and strolled towards Caroline, who now had no weapon to fight him with.

"Nice try," Beau said with a smirk.

Caroline's panic was short lived as Stefan used vamp sped to come up Behind Beau and stab him in the other side of his neck with a huge syringe containing Huntress blood. Beau grunted as his legs began to buckle and the blood took effect. Stefan held him upright so that Caroline could do what she had to do.

"I'll take that back, thank you," she said, pulling the wooden stake out of Beau's hand and plunging it into his chest.

She watched as he turned grey before Stefan let his body fall onto the floor.

"You ok?" she asked, looking up at Stefan.

He nodded. "Good job," he told her, and she smiled at him in return.

#

Seeing that Caroline and Stefan had put Beau down permanently, Bonnie reloaded her wooden stake gun as she walked over to Oscar, who was still laying on the floor paralysed by the entrance of the building. Holding her weapons in each hand she leaned down next to him, resting one knee on the ground and propping her forearm on the other thigh.

"I warned the others that coming here was a bad idea," he said half joking as he looked up at Bonnie.

"Then you must be the smart one… But I'm still gonna have to kill you," she told him matter-of-factly.

"Even if I promise not to kill anymore people?"

Bonnie couldn't suppress a smile. Her bull-shit-o-meter went sky high. There was about as much chance of Oscar no longer killing people as there was of her becoming a nun. And the obnoxious little smirk that he wasn't even trying all that hard to hide reinforced that theory.

"I see that you're the funny one too," she told him.

Oscar gave her a cheesy grin.

"...Still doesn't change anything," she said before holding up the stake gun and firing a shot straight into his heart.

He gasped before turning grey.

Bonnie felt slightly bad about having to kill him. He seemed like somebody you could have a hell of a lot of fun with when he wasn't on a blood-binge. But, it had to be done.

 _Now to find Lily..._

#

Damon had let Enzo go and take care of Terina. As he approached the entrance of the building he looked down at her. He knew what he had to do , but felt weird about it because he could relate to this young woman who, like him, had been alone when Lily found her. She didn't even want this lifestyle. She just wanted a normal life.

"Just fucking do it!" she said, looking up weakly at Enzo, sensing his hesitation.

 _She has Bonnie's sassiness_ , he thought.

He tried to remove any trace of emotion from his face but she was too perceptive.

"It's never gonna stop… We _can't_ stop doing this and the others don't want to stop now. But I've had enough..." she said almost pleading.

Enzo looked at her shaking his head at the sadness and the craziness of her request. Then, he did what needed to be done, staking her in the heart as quickly as possible.

"Lorenzo?!"

Enzo looked up and saw Lily standing in front of him. Somehow she'd managed to sneak back into the main function room. She looked stunned at first, then her expression turned to one of anger.

"You knew what was going on all along!?"

"I..."

Enzo was cut off by Lily's piercing scream when she caught sight of Julian's body.

"Julian!"

The scream caught Bonnie's attention since she _hadn't_ made it too far away from the room. She ran back down the hallway into the room, finding Lily kneeling on the floor over Julian's body. Weapons in hand, Bonnie was ready to put down the last Heretic.

As soon as Lily saw her she used an incantation to disappear from the scene. She couldn't leave the building, but she was able to teleport somewhere inside it.

Bonnie wasn't too worried. Lily would already be weaker now that she was the last living Heretic, and the fact that she'd just performed a teleportation spell would only make her weaker too.

Bonnie was just about to run back towards the hallway when she felt a hand tugging at her wrist. She turned around to see Enzo standing next to her.

"Be careful, love, he told her with a mixture of faith and worry.

"I will," she told him with a small smile.

The look that they shared said that she _couldn't_ leave him once this was over. And he wouldn't let her. Not without a fight.

They gazed at each other for a few seconds longer before Enzo let his hand fall away from her wrist, and she walked away to go and find Lily. Hopefully for the last time.

#

Bonnie's intuition led her to a massive storage room at the back of the building. Crashing sounds caught her attention and adrenaline kicked in again. The door of the room had been blown off. Bonnie entered it quietly, waiting to get a sense of the situation rather than rushing in guns blazing.

She heard another crash and a yell. It was Abby's voice.

Bonnie moved as quickly as she could to the source of the noise without being seen.

The room had several huge floor to ceiling shelves and was filled with supplies and equipment such as extra chairs, tables, drinking glasses, cutlery, wine… Peaking through a gap in one of the shelves Bonnie saw that Lily was creating small explosions to try and protect herself from Abby. The last blast had destroyed a shelf filled with dishes, cups and glass pitchers. The debris had hit Abby, knocking her off her feet, but she was okay. For now.

Bonnie moved closer and watched as Abby took a shot at Lily with a tranquilizer gun containing their blood. Lily reacted quickly enough to use magic and change the direction of the dart with a wave of her hand. She looked down at the tranquilizer dart, not daring to touch it with her bare hands.

"So that's how you did it," she said to Abby, putting two and two together. "Makes sense… You know, people believe we Heretics are aberrations of nature. And from what I've heard, you Huntresses were created to put the balance back into nature. I guess this," she said looking at the blood filled tranquilizer dart," is the equivalent of siphoning the magic back out of us."

"More like neutralizing it," Abby responded from where she sat on the ground.

She threw away the tranquilizer gun and quickly reloaded the stake gun that she had fired at Lily several times since they had been alone in the room.

Lily saw what Abby was doing and created a magical explosion that tore apart the huge shelf next to Abby. Supplies and pieces of wood from the frame of the shelf fell on top of Abby trapping her underneath. Panic came over Bonnie, but she had to stay calm.

She saw Lily walk closer to where her mother was, half buried under the debris, not moving.

"You _do_ realise that the more magic you use the weaker you'll get. Especially now that you're the only one left," Bonnie shouted to distract Lily.

Bonnie saw Lily's face and neck turn red as she realised that her "family" was dead and rage took over. The woman began to shake as she lifted her hands, preparing to create as much destruction as she could with whatever magic she had left inside her.

"Then I have nothing left to lose," she said with gritted teeth. "But don't think I'm going to let you live."

Lily let out a primal scream and sent several blasts of magic into the room that blew up most of the remaining shelves and shattered the glass of the only window in the room.

 _Hopefully she'll wear herself out and the bitch will be easier to kill!_ Bonnie contemplated running for cover as debris flew around her.

Once Lily was satisfied with the carnage she looked around searching for Bonnie. She couldn't see her, but she spotted Abby's arm sticking out from where she was still lying unconscious.

From where she was hiding behind a pile of broken tables and chairs Bonnie saw Lily heading for Abby. Bonnie had lost her stake gun but she'd managed to hold on to the machete. She ran out towards Lily aiming the machete towards her neck, but Lily heard her coming and turned around in time to duck, bulldozing into Bonnie with the force of her body.

They crashed into a pile of broken supplies on the floor with Lily landing practically on top of Bonnie. Bonnie used her strength to flip Lily over her head and onto her back, then she got onto her knees, quickly twisting herself around and once again aimed to swing the machete across Lily's neck.

Lily grabbed Bonnie's wrists with both hands, trying to keep the weapon as far away from her head as possible. Bonnie felt Lily struggling and just when she thought she had the upper hand, Lily removed one hand from Bonnie's wrist and quickly used it to blow up a piece of the roof. Chunks from the ceiling crashed down on top of them, causing Bonnie to drop the machete, while Lily was able to maneuvoure her way from underneath Bonnie.

 _Jesus Christ, does this bitch ever get weak! She should have the strength of a toddler by now after using so much magic!_ Bonnie thought to herself.

Thinking she was about to make an escape, Lily wasn't expecting to have one hand wrapped around her throat and another gripping her her arm and twisting it behind her back when she stood up.

"You again," she said to Abby, who was the one restraining her.

"There's no escape," Abby said with a smirk.

And before Lily could attempt to use her free hand to blow anything else up, she felt that arm being restrained too as Bonnie got up and twisted it behind her back.

Abby and Bonnie looked at each other, then at the remains of one of the shelves that Lily had blasted. They looked at each other again knowing exactly what to do.

Running together they pulled Lily towards the huge piece of wood sticking out from the structure of the shelf. Lining the Heretic up perfectly with the massive improvised stake, they gained enough speed for the wood to pierce her through the chest and all the way through her back.

Lily's mouth gaped open and her eyes went wide, before her skin turned grey. Then, her body slumped forward, lifeless, impaled on the piece of wood.

"You ok?" Bonnie asked moving closer to Abby.

"I'm fine." Abby lifted her daughter's chin with her hand, checking for injuries.

They both had minor cuts and bruises, but they were okay.

Satisfied that her only child wasn't seriously hurt Abby wrapped an arm around her shoulder tightly. Bonnie wrapped an arm around her mother's waist, squeezing her too. They were both so relieved to have survived the whole evening that all they could do was stare at the deceased Heretic as they stood holding on to each other.

#

Minutes later the others entered the room where Abby and Bonnie still stood side by side.

Stefan's grief was evident as he walked in hand-in-hand with Caroline. As much as he knew Lily didn't give a shit about him or Damon for over a century, he and his mother had a bond once. His grief was for the woman who loved him for the first several years of his life.

Even Damon showed some signs of sadness that the woman who "raised" him was gone.

"Can't believe you did it, Bonnie the vampire slayer," Damon joked to break the tension.

" _We_ did it," Bonnie said looking at Abby. " _All_ of us," she added, looking at all of her friends. Because she couldn't have killed all of the Heretics without their help. "And, we couldn't have done this without Nikita too."

"Yeah. You really owe her," Damon responded.

"Oh, she's cool with me. But you still owe her for that shit-hole motel business," Bonnie teased him.

Damon chuckled.

Bonnie let go of Abby and moved closer to Enzo. He was standing next to Lily's body staring into the woman's face in stony silence. Bonnie touched his shoulder and he turned to look at her. She let her hand slide down to his arm and took his hand in hers.

Giving the others a 'give us a few minutes' look, she led Enzo out into the hallway and back into the main function room where they could be alone.

They walked until they were in front of the stage and Bonnie stood in front Enzo trying to read his thoughts. "I know you're not ok, so I'm not going to ask if you are… Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head then looked away. Bonnie looked around the room at the bodies of the Heretics. She felt free. She knew her Huntressing days were far from over, but something about this moment and it's preceding events left her feeling like she could have a fresh start in life.

"I'm actually relieved," Enzo interrupted her thoughts, finally speaking.

She turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "What other choice did we have? I didn't want things to turn out this way for Lily… But I knew deep down when I met up with her after such a long time that she wasn't the same." He shrugged and shook his head. "I'm not even sure if I ever really knew her."

Bonnie watched him, allowing him to express himself freely. He took both of her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "The time I've spent with you has felt more real than any of the time I was around her… I mean, obviously it's a different situation, it's just… whatever you and I had means a hell of a lot more to me than anything-"

"What we _have_ ," she corrected him.

"What?" He looked at her confused.

Bonnie slid her arms around his neck and he wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

"We've known each other for all of what? Two seconds?" she said.

They both chuckled softly.

"But you're right," she told him. "It feels real and means more than any experience I've had that's even remotely like this." She smiled at him affectionately. "I have no idea how things might work out between us. And, even though I'm obviously over the whole vampire/Huntress taboo now, I have no idea how we get around the whole mortal/immortal part… Maybe for now we could just continue to make the most of whatever it is we _do_ have."

He gazed at her for several seconds. "I take it you're not leaving Mystic Falls anytime soon then?"

"I have more than one reason to stay," she told him with a sultry gaze.

Enzo stared at her relieved and excited for the future. To be honest though, even if she didn't stay it didn't matter all that much. As long as she wanted to be with him, he'd be willing to follow her wherever she wanted to go. "Well ok then," he said breaking the silence and staring at her mouth now.

"So… are you just gonna stare at me or are you actually gonna kiss-"

And he cut off her words with a deliciously, possessive kiss.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

"You sure you wanna do this?" Bonnie asked Abby as they walked up the path towards the house.

"It's not too late to turn around..." Caroline added, walking with them.

"I have to do it," Abby assured them.

Bonnie and Caroline looked at each other worried and hoping for the best, although there couldn't be an actual happy outcome to the scenario.

"Ok," Bonnie sighed, looking at Abby as they reached the door.

They waited for Abby to ring the doorbell in her own time. A few seconds after she did it the door was opened by a brown-skinned man who looked to be the same age as Abby apart from his grey hair. The man looked the three women up and down, doing a double take when he got to Bonnie.

"Can I help you?" he asked in an exceptionally deep voice, clearly distracted by Bonnie's presence since he kept on glancing towards her.

"Are you Andre Scott?" Abby asked him calmly.

"Who's asking?" he responded suspiciously.

Abby took a shaky breath. "I have information about Marissa Scott."

A sense of pain became present as the man looked at them tensely. "Come inside."

#

Andre and Diane Scott still lived in Mystic Falls, but they moved to a different house shortly after their daughter, Marissa, was killed. No doubt, living in the house where their daughter had lost her life was too much for them.

They'd had two more children after Marissa's death. Both boys, one of whom was away at college, while the other was a 16 year old high school student.

The couple had the same light-brown skin tone as Abby and Bonnie. And, although they appeared to be around Abby's age, clearly grief had taken it's toll on them. They looked weary and drained. Physically they didn't look particularly old, but the vibe they gave out made it seem like they could be 100 years old.

Andre and Diane kept on glancing at Bonnie. Obviously they noticed she had a resemblance to their daughter too. It was an uncomfortable situation, but they needed closure. Their daughter wasn't coming back, but they deserved more than to live the rest of their lives without knowing the truth.

Caroline broke the unsettling silence, staring into the couple's eyes and using the vampire ability of compulsion for damage control. Bonnie and Abby had debated how they could handle the scenario and a) have Marissa's parents believe in the supernatural without getting hysterical, and b) without Abby going to prison, getting the death penalty and having the whole world believe she was an evil, psychotic murderer.

Manipulating these people's emotions _was_ wrong, but the most important thing was for them to believe the truth. And, of course Bonnie wanted to keep her Mom safe too. Abby still had to live with her own guilt every, single day for the rest of her life. She'd been a fugitive for years, missed out on most of her own daughter's life. And she'd been held captive for almost six years. She'd been punished a lot in life. She killed the Scott's daughter while she was trying to save all of them. Hopefully the truth could help them in some small way.

"This lady," Caroline gestured to Abby, "has some important things to tell you. We need you to _listen_ , to _understand_ and to _feel_ everything that you need to feel. But we also need you to find some kind of peace of mind from knowing the truth."

The Scotts stared at Caroline intrigued but silent, absorbing everything she was saying.

"There will be some things that you're going to hear that sound crazy and unbelievable, but you need to trust that they are the absolute truth. And, there will be some things that you can't _ever_ talk about or tell anyone. But you need to know everything for it to all make sense," Caroline finished, making sure not to mention Abby's, Bonnie's or her own name.

Once she was certain that the couple were open to hearing what happened to their child Caroline looked at Abby, indicating that she could begin her story.

"Your daughter's death was an accident… It was my fault..."

#

Andre and Diane Scott listened silently, as if in a trance while Abby explained how and why their daughter died. Every now and again they would glance at Bonnie. But for the most part they seemed to be absorbing what Abby was telling them. Bonnie watched as tears filled their eyes and various emotions came into play. Anger, disbelief, sorrow and eventually understanding.

When Diane asked Abby why it took so long for her to reveal the truth to them she explained her fears for her family and how she was captured by the Armory when she returned to Mystic Falls.

"I know I was a coward. For running away from what I did _and_ for running away from my own family," Abby told them.

Bonnie put her hand on Abby's and Abby turned to look at her. She would always be a little angry that her mother didn't let them know she was alive for so many years, but she'd never view her as a coward. Abby wasn't self-centered or completely selfish. She just didn't want to completely destroy her family, even if she did make questionable choices in the way she went about things.

Diane watched the affectionate gesture between Bonnie and Abby. Bonnie sensed envy as Diane never got to share those kind of adult moments with her daughter.

"Whatever suffering you've been through will _never_ compensate for us losing our daughter," Diane told Abby harshly. She looked at Bonnie and her gaze softened slightly. "At least we know her death wasn't for nothing. She wasn't murdered by some evil… creature, _supernatural_ or _human_. I only wish you could have killed the monster who invaded our home without our baby having to suffer."

Andre held his wife's hand as silent tears streamed down her face. He looked at Bonnie. "You must realise how much you look like her," he said to Bonnie.

"Yes," she responded, not knowing what else to say. Since the moment the Scotts saw her she sensed that they were thinking, _'Is this what Marissa would look like if she was still here now?'_.

"Don't expect our forgiveness anytime soon. I know you were trying to save us but you still took our daughter away from us, even if it was an accident..." His voice broke and he coughed to try and compose himself. " _Your_ daughter has suffered enough because of your mistake. She doesn't deserve to suffer anymore."

The silence that followed signified an understanding between Abby and Marissa's parents. They finally had the truth that they'd been seeking for 20 years. Abby had apologised more times than any of them could count as she told her story. It didn't make Marissa's death easier to deal with and it could take the Scotts the rest of their lives to forgive Abby. But they finally had closure. And in that there was a small sense of relief for everyone involved.

With everything that needed to be revealed out in the open Caroline brought the visit to an end with a little more compulsion. "I hope you can somehow find the peace that you both deserve." Seeking confirmation to continue Caroline looked at Bonnie and Abby. They nodded for her to go ahead. "I need you both to forget our faces after we're gone."

Andre and Diane nodded silently and the three women got up making their way to the front door.

Abby turned around to face the Scotts one last time as she stepped outside. "I'm so sorry," she told them again.

Then the couple watched as the women disappeared down the path and out of their lives, leaving them to process what had really happened to their daughter and understanding that her death wasn't what they had spent two decades believing was a meaningless murder.

#

Bonnie put the car in park as she pulled up outside of her Dad's house with Abby in the passenger seat. Rudy opened the front door of the house immediately, as if he had been looking out of the window, waiting for them to arrive. He was impossible to read with the serious expression on his face.

"Do you want me to wait in the car for a little while to give you guys some space?" Bonnie asked Abby.

"Hell no! You're coming with me," Abby told her. "I need all the moral support I can get right now."

Bonnie smiled at her and followed as she got out of the car. The two women walked up to the front door where Rudy was waiting for them. His eyes narrowed as Abby approached. And when she stood right in front of him he looked her up and down not saying a word.

Abby was starting to get worried by the lack of reaction. "Rudy…?"

His gaze softened then confusion passed across his face. "Just give me some time... It's hard to speak when the wife I thought was dead for the last 20 years is standing right in front of me."

"I'm sorry-" Abby began before Rudy cut her off by wrapping her up in a huge bear hug.

Bonnie's mouth opened in surprise as she watched the man she was used to seeing show about as much emotion as a dead goldfish, up until a week or so ago, holding on to Abby for dear life like a vulnerable little boy.

Abby took several seconds to realize what was happening and return his embrace.

"I'm sorry," she told him again.

"Don't worry about that right now… I can't believe you're here. We have plenty of time to talk about everything later."

Bonnie looked on as her parents were finally reunited. Without a doubt, Rudy would go through his own roller-coaster of emotions when he found out everything that had happened. But, from his present reaction Bonnie was positive that her parents had a good chance of repairing their marriage and getting some kind of happiness back in their lives.

* * *

 **A/N: I really debated including the scene with Abby going to the family of the child she killed, especially with the element of compulsion. It was already a dark subject, but when I was coming up with a reason serious enough for Abby to not only abandon her family, but let them think she was dead this one seemed to fit.**

 **I'm still not 100% sure if adding compulsion to the mix was too messed up, but I went there. I wanted to give this part of the story closure and I hope I wrote the scene sensitively enough to do it justice.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

 **TWO WEEKS LATER…**

"Mmmm..." Bonnie hummed as Enzo drove himself deep inside her while they lay naked, wrapped around each other as if they had nothing else in the world to do.

He ran the tip of his tongue up along the delicate skin of her neck, to her earlobe, and she squirmed in response to the ticklish yet arousing sensation.

She wrapped her legs around his hips even more tightly, pushing her own hips up to meet his thrusts. Tensing her internal muscles, she pulled him more deeply inside her. He groaned as she expected, knowing how much he loved that move. Turning his face to kiss her on the mouth, he rolled them over so that she was on top of him, straddling him, then he sat up so that they were still face to face while he was inside her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her breasts against his chest while he put his hands on her ass, pulling her closer. Bonnie took control of the rhythm, grinding slowly as he dipped his tongue into her mouth, teasing her.

She chuckled softly and he smiled against her lips, feeling completely free and beyond content to remain exactly where he was infinitely.

Enzo smoothed his hands up her hips and to her waist. Then, he let his fingertips slide around to stroke her breasts lightly. Bonnie gasped at the sensation before letting a sultry moan escape from her lips. The sound made his dick jerk as he slid in and out of her.

He flattened his hands and palmed her breasts, massaging them firmly but gently, while she rode him in a way that made him feel like he was flying higher than a rocket.

"Bonnie Bennett… What are you doing to me," he murmured into her ear.

She chuckled softly. "Just making you feel as good as you're making me feel," she responded in her unique provocative tone.

Her movements became quicker and more intense as she took his bottom lip into her mouth and sucked on the juicy flesh. Enzo wrapped one arm around her waist and moved the other hand up to the nape her neck, letting his fingertips slide into her hair.

Deepening the kiss, he thrust his hips up to meet hers until their orgasm crashed down on them like a breathtaking storm. They held on to each other tightly as the spasms rocked through them, continuing to indulge in a deep kiss until the calm returned.

Breathless, Bonnie finally broke the kiss and rested her head on Enzo's shoulder, pressing her lips into the crook of his neck. He stroked her hair with one hand, letting the fingertips of the other hand run up and down her spine with a feather-light touch. Every now and then she would twitch when his fingers found the ticklish part of her spine.

Bonnie lifted her head off of Enzo's shoulder and looked into his eyes, She took his face between her hands and kissed him again. He changed their position so that she was on her back again and he was on his side next to her, with half of his body draped across hers. He rested his arm on the pillow, bending his elbow so that he could rest his head on his hand as he leaned over her, letting the fingers of his other hand make small circles on her belly. He couldn't resist kissing her again as he smiled and looked down at her, feeling like the luckiest man on the planet.

"You really are beautiful you know," he told her sincerely.

She smiled at him a little coyly, still finding it difficult to take his compliments.

"And you're even more beautiful when you blush," he added, noticing the red tinge creep up from the caramel coloured skin of her chest to her face.

She rolled her eyes and pushed at his chest playfully. He tried to kiss her and she continued to push him away, giggling as they teased each other. He chuckled quietly and when she couldn't resist him anymore he kissed her again, letting his lips linger against hers.

He sighed contentedly. "As much as I appreciate the beauty of this place, we can't live here forever," he told her, referring to the Salvatore Boarding House, where they were still staying.

"I know," she said a little suspicious.

"Do you have any plans in terms of where you want to live once you move out of here?" he asked.

She eyed him suspiciously. "Is this some ploy to try and get a place together, cause it's waaaay too soon for anything like that!?"

He smiled at her then looked at her belly, going back to making circles on the soft skin around her navel. "You don't have to keep reminding me that we've only been seeing each other for 'all of two seconds' as you put it," he said imitating her.

"I'm sorry," she told him with a smile. "What is it you're getting at though?"

"It was just a general question," he told her sincerely. "I was just thinking that wherever we decide to live, it would make sense to choose places that aren't too far away from each other… Better for it to take 10 minutes to get to me when you're missing me than half an hour," he teased her.

She gave him a knowing look. He was trying to be logical, but they both knew that if she'd agree to it he'd find a place for them to move in together in a heartbeat. And honestly, the way she felt right now, if he tried just a little harder, he could probably talk her around to the idea. She couldn't blame him for the way he felt about her with the heightened emotions deal as a vampire. _What's my excuse though?_ She wondered.

Luckily, her mouth was able to spout logic and rationality, even when her heart was telling her something different. And, if her heart was doing the talking it would probably be saying, _'Enzo, let's just run away together and live happily ever after...'_. While her rational side would add, _'...But we can never have biological children, and I'll get old and grey and die in 50 or 60 years, while you remain youthful and live forever.'_ She was still trying to avoid the mortality/immortality conversation, but it would have to happen eventually.

As Enzo gazed at her, Bonnie opened her mouth preparing to come off with some smart ass remark in response to his suggestion in order to avoid letting the conversation get too serious. But, for some reason, this time she couldn't do it.

She gazed back at him thoughtfully. "That sounds like a good idea."

The look of surprise on his face told her that he knew her well, as it seemed he was expecting a smart as reply too.

"Ok, then," he said to her, moving the hand that had been stroking her belly up to stroke her hair.

Enzo had been trying to get a grip on his feelings for Bonnie since day one. And right now he was trying to push the 'L' word to the back of his mind, but it was pretty damn hard to do when that was exactly where his feelings were at if he was honest with himself.

It was definitely too soon, but the reality was that from the day he'd met her he'd been falling for her. _Hard_. And maybe it was partly due to having heightened emotions. But, he knew deep down that those feelings were very real and that in this situation, heightened emotions just meant that his feelings for Bonnie were on fast forward. He'd end up feeling exactly the same way about her if he was human, it would just take more time. He didn't want to be anywhere else, with anyone else. He could just lay next to her like this for…

"What's up?" Bonnie asked instantly sensing the change in his demeanor.

"What?" Enzo asked, realising that his thoughts had suddenly been derailed and he couldn't explain why.

"You look like your mind is somewhere else."

He did feel restless all of a sudden. Like there was somewhere else he had to be. _Right now_.

"Enzo…?"

It took him several seconds to answer. "Yeah?"

"What's up with you?"

"Dunno. Maybe it's some weird after-sex buzz. You probably fried half of my brain cells with your amazing bedroom skills and now I can't think properly," he joked.

She smiled, looking at him as if he was insane. "I seriously think you need to feed or something."

"Nah. I'm good… I might go for a walk though… Clear the brain fog."

"Yeah, good idea," she responded, still looking at him curiously.

He stared at her for several several seconds, then gave her a lingering kiss before getting up to leave. The urge to go was overwhelming and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Enzo's overpowering impulse to get out of the Salvatore Mansion led him to the wasteland that had once been the Armory. As soon as he'd stepped out of the front door he was on autopilot. He got into his car and just drove. And is where he ended up.

He put the car in park and stared at what should have been his legacy. After a few minutes he stepped outside and took a stroll around the remains of the building.

In his peripheral vision Enzo spotted movement. As he turned to the right he saw a man standing at the opposite side of the rubble. It was too far away to make out his features, but he could see that the man had dark hair.

 _Should I go?_ He considered, suspicious of who this person was. But for some reason he couldn't help himself from walking towards the figure. And a few seconds later it looked as if the stranger was heading his way too. Confused, Enzo continued to walk, unable to stop himself.

As he got closer to the man realisation dawned on him… He thought Nikita's spell hadn't worked. He'd even started trying to come up with a new plan…

Once they were just several feet apart the two men stopped dead in front of each other, staring. One with confusion and the other with amazement.

"Marco…?"

#

"And you are?" the man asked Enzo in some sort of British-hybrid accent.

" _Your brother_."

The man stared at Enzo for about half a minute before he burst out laughing. "Yeah, fucking right!"

Enzo's expression remained serious and the man slowly stopped laughing.

"You are Marco St. John right?" Enzo needed him to confirm it and he was more than a little pissed off with the man for taking what he was saying as a joke.

"Yes, I'm Marco St. John… You _do_ realise my brother was born in 1876?"

"I'm fully aware of my birth date," Enzo replied curtly.

The man continued to stare at Enzo trying to decide if he was telling the truth.

"You definitely look a lot like me..."

"That's a bloody understatement," Enzo responded sarcastically. Marco looked a little younger than Enzo, which was obviously weird since he was the older brother. But, he had been 'turned' when he was 20 years old, whereas Enzo had been 27. That aside the resemblance was striking.

Marco scrutinized Enzo's face. "The St. John genes have always been strong with the men. You could easily be a descendant."

"And what the fuck do you think I would gain from pretending to Be Lorenzo St. John!" Enzo said getting more pissed off by the second by his brother's dismissal of the facts. "The child who disappeared from the St. John family history when he when he was four years old and grew up in a workhouse."

"What?!" Marco exclaimed, genuinely perplexed and stunned.

"A workhouse… You know what one of those is don't you? It's basically a shit-hole that poses as a rescue centre for undesirable members of society. But it's actually a place for said undesirables to sleep in between working as slaves and being abused!"

Marco could see how pissed off Enzo was now. Guilt consumed him as he understood that the truth was staring him in the face. "How…? Why did you end up in a workhouse?"

"You tell me!" Enzo shrugged, still looking angry. "I ended up there when I was four years old and I don't remember anything before then."

Marco turned away, a mix of anger, sadness and confusion on his face. He looked around and found a small section of the wall that had survived the explosion and sat on it. He rested his forearms on his thighs and slouched forward, his gaze on the ground. "You were supposed to have a normal life," he told Enzo, unable to look at him. "I take it you somehow became a vampire too?'

"Yes… and what do you mean a normal life?"

"I didn't take you to that workhouse." Marco turned to look up at Enzo. "What do you know about the St. John family? How did you find out who I am?"

Enzo sighed and sat down on the wall next to Marco, adopting a similar posture. He briefly explained how he ended up getting involved with the Armory and all that he'd recently discovered. Marco shook his head in disbelief as he listened to Enzo relaying what he knew.

"I took you to live with a good family back in England. The Davenports. They had a son that I was friends with when I was a child. They were amazing people. I remember them treating me like family whenever I used to go to their house."

Enzo looked at him waiting for him to explain more.

"When I escaped from the Armory I had to take you with me. You were inconsolable when Mum and Dad died. Dad's brothers – David and Dalton – said you were crying constantly. 'An annoying, whiny little brat'. I heard them joking about locking you up in a cell to shut you up. They said they were looking for a child to 'turn' into a vampire, so why not use you."

Enzo was disgusted. "They'd really do that?'

"I wouldn't have put it past them. Dad arranged for us to immigrate to join his brothers in America and help them run the Armory when I was 17. You were only a year old. I used to look up to my uncles at first. But after Mum and Dad died, and I 'turned', I accepted reality. They were, sick, arrogant users. Even when it came to their own family."

 _Why does that not surprise me?_

"Dad was someone you could be proud of," Marco told him smiling. "He was thinking about breaking away from the Armory and starting his own organisation not long before he died. He didn't agree with the way his brothers did a lot of things, but loyalty stopped him from leaving."

"What was our father like?"

Marco's smile returned. "Intelligent, funny… a bit sarcastic, but compassionate. He loved us and our mother fiercely."

 _I don't even remember the man, and somehow I've ended up with his personality traits…_

"What was our mother like?"

Marco looked at Enzo with an even bigger smile. "Sweet. Very loving and kind. Everyone used to say she was quiet when she first met Dad, but she became a little bossy. Probably because she knew she had him wrapped around her little finger."

Bonnie came to mind and Enzo smiled. He could also easily imagine the woman in his family portrait fitting Marco's description perfectly.

"Everyone loved her… and Dad too. But Mum… that woman really knew how to give hugs – like she was giving you her heart and soul," Marco explained nostalgically.

Enzo was happy that he had parents he could be proud of. What left him feeling a little empty was the fact that he had no memory of them. He'd missed out on having these wonderful people in his life during a time when he could actually remember them.

"Our parents were the only decent St. Johns I knew. I wanted to cut all ties with the rest of them and the Armory when we escaped. I couldn't take care of you. I was hiding out from the Armory for decades and I didn't want them to ever get to you either. The only people I trusted were the Davenports.

"You never thought to check up on me? Make sure I was ok?!" Enzo said resentfully.

"I tried-"

"Not hard enough, since you didn't even know I was still "alive"!"

Marco looked at Enzo remorsefully. "It took me two years to find a witch powerful enough to protect me from locator spells. I always had to keep moving. In the first two years I had so many close calls with being caught by the Armory."

"And?" Enzo wasn't satisfied with Marco's explanation.

"Once the locator spell was in place I went to the Davenport's house. A new family was there. They said that they didn't know where the former owners were and that they'd moved on. The Davenports were kind people, but they kept themselves to themselves. It's one of the reason I trusted them with you. But I didn't know who else would know where they were."

Marco gazed at Enzo guiltily.

"I went back to the witch who performed the protection spell to reverse it so I could find you. When that kind of spell is placed on you your blood is useless in finding any family. The witch I went to was powerful and experienced, and the spell was only meant to last for several years. When I first met her I thought she was just eccentric, but she was actually going senile. She couldn't remember what she'd done, so she couldn't reverse the spell. No other witch I've been to can reverse it either."

Enzo sighed feeling frustrated.

"I tried to find you myself without magic, but it was as if you and the Davenports had disappeared. I told myself that you were fine and being raised by good people who would give you their last name and were compelled never to tell you that you were a St. John. But those bastards still got to you anyway… All I ever wanted was for you to have a normal life…"

"You don't think I deserved to know where I came from, even if I wasn't raised by the St. John family?!"

"I didn't want to risk you getting drawn into the craziness of our family. They were sick and twisted people. You were so curious and determined as a child. If you even had a hint of what your legacy was about you'd get drawn in, and either get used or become screwed up because of them."

 _Marco has a point._ _At least one of those things had already happened..._

Marco turned to look at him. He was clearly devastated that his plans for Enzo didn't work out. "I'm sorry, Lorenzo. I tried to make sure you had a happy upbringing and I fucked up royally."

Enzo sighed and tried to let go of his anger. It wasn't Marco's fault he ended up where he did. He still thought that there was maybe more that Marco could have done to find him but… he didn't abandon him. Everything just went wrong.

"You wouldn't be the first person to try and do the right thing and have it backfire on them." Enzo thought about the way Abby had handled her situation.

"I never forgot about you. We weren't the closest brothers, especially with the age gap, but everyday after the day I left you with the Davenports I prayed that you were happy and healthy. And I always hoped that I'd get to see you again before it was too late."

"Well, you've got over a century to make up for," Enzo told him with a subtle smile.

"And I promise I will," Marco said sincerely, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder affectionately. "Starting now. Tell me about your life… By the way, how weird is it that we ended up here at exactly the same time?"

"Not that weird actually."

Marco gave him a curious look.

"Let me explain..."

 **#**

In the months following Enzo's reunion with his brother, he and Marco finally discovered the truth about how Enzo ended up in a workhouse. The family that Marco took Enzo to live with died of scarlet fever shortly after they took him in. The disease took many lives in 19th Century England, and Enzo was lucky that he didn't catch it too. It turned out that the Davenport's extended family weren't as kind as they were and no one was willing to take in the child who had no blood connection to them. So, they chose to drop him off at nearest workhouse.

Enzo was bitter about the fact that people could be so cruel, knowing that a workhouse was no place for anyone let alone a four year old child but instead, he decided to focus on learning about his parents from Marco, who loved to share stories about their childhood. With Nikita's help Enzo even managed to reawaken memories of his early childhood. The time he had with his parents was short, but he was able to remember his life with them in detail, which helped the healing process.

It also turned out that Marco hadn't been bitten by the werewolf before he transitioned into a vampire. The witch who performed the protection spell assured him that the wolf must have killed him using it's claws, because even if he hadn't transitioned before he was bitten, the venom would still have been in his system and killed him as soon as he did. Other witches confirmed this theory. But Marco was convinced that even if the Armory knew this they'd still want to lock him up and treat him as their latest project. Yet another reason he and Enzo decided to leave the so-called legacy of the Armory behind them and focus on memories of their parents and building their brotherly bond instead.

 **#**

As the months progressed so did everyone's lives.

Stefan and Caroline got married and bought a new house together in Mystic Falls. Caroline still worked for the radio station but she was now one of it's top lead Producers. And Stefan was training to become a Rehabilitation Counsellor.

Damon was still at the Boarding House and he'd found himself a new girlfriend…. Krystal with a 'K'! She was a bit of a loose canon, but perfect for Damon. Neither of them wanted a real commitment and Damon had come to the conclusion that he'd never love anyone the way he loved Elena again, so, he'd settle for fun.

Elena was single and happy and still working towards becoming a doctor away from Mystic Falls. Bonnie reconnected with her and she Caroline and Elena kept in contact regularly via social media. The three of them met up together once in a while, usually somewhere outside of Mystic Falls as Bonnie and Caroline were determined to keep Elena out of the supernatural world for good.

Abby and Rudy were rebuilding their marriage. She managed to get him to cut down on work and enjoy life. And he was like a changed man. He was warmer, more relaxed and so much happier. Abby had always brought out the best in him, and he treated her like a queen now that she was back in his life. Abby's return brought him closer to Bonnie too. The father-daughter relationship wasn't perfect, but it got better everyday.

Even Enzo's friend Joshua, from the Armory, had improved his life. Thanks to money from Enzo and the Salvatores he was able to start up his own specialist security firm. His wife was still having treatment for cancer and they weren't 100% sure how that would turn out. But, now that he was in charge of his own business he could take as much time off as he wanted to and spend it with his wife.

Enzo was giving private guitar lessons. He loved sharing his music skills and he had plans to build a music production studio to experiment and explore his love of music.

Bonnie kept herself so busy that no one knew where she found the time. Along with Huntress duties, she gave self-defence lessons privately and to groups. She was also using her sociology degree to write a book with the working title: 'Childhood Abandonment: Can We Overcome the Issues It Creates In Our Adult Lives?' It was part of her healing process. And, between herself _and_ her friends she had enough material for the whole book.

As well as writing the book Bonnie was planning to run some programmes with youth workers. She wanted to help children and teenagers who'd been abandoned, or whose parents had died to help them through their issues before those issues ruined their lives. The programmes would provide emotional support, confidence and self-esteem building, and anxiety prevention.

Despite all of her work she still found time for Enzo too. They respected each other enough to give each other the space to enjoy their own lives too. And, since she finally agreed to finding a place together in Mystic Falls things could only get better. Their relationship was strong and it was obvious to everyone that they were made for each other. The icing on the cake was that there _was_ a possible solution to their mortal/immortal problem after all…


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

 **ONE YEAR LATER...**

 _Bonnie walked along the beautiful beach as afternoon turned to evening. As she passed a bar hut she noticed a woman with light brown hair sitting on a stool chatting and laughing with the barman. As the woman turned away she suddenly became distracted. She stared to her left and Bonnie followed her line of sight._

 _A tall blonde haired man stood looking out towards the sea. The woman couldn't take her eyes off him. He reminded her of someone she knew… someone she'd known._

 _Her expression became dark and Bonnie swore she saw vamp veins appear under the woman's eyes. Yep, she was definitely a vampire. And the blonde haired man was about to become her next victim._

 _As the woman got up out of her seat and started to walk towards the man Bonnie felt something moving against her arm. She started to lose focus and everything became darker until it went completely black and Bonnie woke up from her dream_

 _#_

"Hmmm… You weren't watching me sleep were you?" she said to Enzo, who smirked at her in response.

She lay on her stomach on the beach towel feeling the heat of the sun on her back, while Enzo continued to stroke her arm with the backs of his fingers.

They were on vacation in Hawaii enjoying some rest and relaxation. It was one of several getaways they'd had in the last year. They'd only been there for four days and it was already one of the best vacations they'd had so far.

Enzo plucked the strap of the dark violet coloured bikini that Bonnie was wearing, which matched the colour of her hair. She looked at him lazily admiring the muscles of his arms and his back as he lay next to her on his stomach too, on a separate beach towel.

"What time is it?" she asked.

He reached for his cellphone and gazed at the screen. "Nearly 2 'o' clock." He chuckled quietly as he continued to look at the screen. "Message from Marco, asking if we've actually left the hotel room to enjoy the beautiful sights of Hawaii yet."

Bonnie snorted, while Enzo replied to the text message stating, _'Yes, finally.'_

"Woulda got a different answer if he'd asked us yesterday," she said to Enzo.

Enzo laughed and then his expression became serious as he continued to look at the phone.

He sat up and Bonnie followed.

"What?" she asked, genuinely worried now.

"It's ready," he said as he turned to look at her.

"Are you?" she asked him.

He looked at her confused. "Do you even have to ask?"

Nikita and her coven had finally figured out how to recreate the cure for vampirism. Enzo had offered to be the first guinea pig. He and Bonnie had complete confidence in the coven and once he tested it out, he and Bonnie planned to seek out other vampires all over the world who wanted to become human again too.

Not only could the cure help vampires who wanted to use it to have a normal life, but Bonnie planned to use it to help her as a Huntress. She wanted to see if she could use it get some of the deviant vampires she targeted put away in prison once they became human again. Their victim's families deserved to feel like they got some kind of justice by knowing who killed their loved ones, rather than the cases remaining unsolved and without motive. To some it was a crazy idea, but she knew from personal experience that not knowing the truth could make life worse.

Looking at Enzo Bonnie smiled. Over his shoulder a couple with a baby caught her eye. She looked at them wistfully and Enzo followed her gaze.

"That could be us in a few years," he commented, watching the young family too.

Bonnie touched her stomach subconsciously and Enzo turned back towards her, noticing the small movement and imagining her carrying his child. Even before they knew for sure that Nikita would be successful in figuring out the cure, Bonnie and Enzo eventually came to the conclusion that if they could have children they would. Bonnie wanted three children and Enzo was satisfied with that number… But, he told her that more would be fine with him too.

If they had a girl they agreed that they would have to name her Nikita after the witch who made her existence possible. And a boy would be named Nicholas, after Enzo's father.

"Of course, there's something else we need to do first..." Enzo announced, interrupting Bonnie's thoughts.

"Oh, what's that?" she teased him, knowing full well where the conversation was heading.

He tickled her waist in revenge for her teasing.

"Stop!" she giggled, but he ignored her. "Enzo…!" she said laughing.

Suddenly he stopped and his expression became serious.

"What?" she asked.

He looked at her intensely. "Let's do it here."

"Seriously?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't you want to marry me anymore, Bonnie Bennett?" he said with a smile.

She looked away thoughtfully. "Caroline would kill us if we did it without her."

"Then we'll tell her to come _here,"_ he suggested, taking her hand in his and stroking the palm of her hand with his thumb. " _And_ everyone else too."

"They have lives you know," she scoffed.

"And I'm sure they'll be happy to spare a few days to celebrate with us," he responded with determination.

She watched him and he returned her stare without even blinking. "Why are you in such a rush to do this all of a sudden?"

He laughed. "All of a sudden… I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been ready to marry you since the day I asked you 2 months ago. You _know_ how much I love you… and I've waited for over a century to find someone like you to enjoy life with… Life's too short. Why waste anymore time?"

She smiled at him warmly. "You are such a sap at times."

"Yeah, but that's one of the reasons you love me... Balances out your badass persona."

She rolled her eyes at him, but the cocky look on his gorgeous face kept her smiling. "Out of all the reasons I love you being a sap has to be at the _bottom_ of the list."

Enzo smirked at her. "I'm shocked by the way."

"What? Why?"

He continued to stroke her hand with his thumb gently, looking down at where their skin made contact as he spoke. "You don't usually say those three little words so casually. I usually have to prompt you to get them out of you."

Bonnie shrug casually. "I don't need to say them. You know how I feel about you."

He looked up at her face. "Doesn't hurt to hear it sometimes though," he told her with a beautiful smile.

She gazed at him, admiring how much more open he was about his feelings than she was. But she couldn't resist teasing him again. "Sap!"

He tickled her again until she said the words he always loved to hear from her mouth. "I love you Enzo St. John," she said sincerely.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she slid her fingers into his hair pulling him towards her for a sweet kiss. When their mouths parted Bonnie became distracted by something behind Enzo. He turned around and the only thing he could see was a tall, blonde haired man.

"You're checking out another man after you just told me you love me?" he joked.

"No… ummm," Bonnie murmured.

"You know him…?" Enzo asked since she was still staring at the man.

"Ummm..."

Enzo recognised the expression on her face, he'd seen it so many times before. "Really… we can't enjoy one bloody holiday without you having to go into Huntress mode?" He was a little pissed off, but he was used to this kind of thing happening. So he took it in his stride.

"I can't help my legacy," Bonnie told him apologetically. "I'll make it up to you… As soon as I take care of my bloodsucking friend we'll get that cure into you. Then, we have a wedding to organize and..."

He cut her off with a kiss.

After a minute Enzo broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied.

He brushed his nose against hers then pulled away from her completely. "Come on..." He gathered their belongings in a backpack and pulled her up onto her feet. Holding the backpack in one hand, he lifted Bonnie up with one arm and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her along the beach.

"What are you doing?" she asked laughing.

"I'm bored with the beach."

"We haven't even explored the island yet."

"I'd much rather explore you," he told her in a seductive tone. "And afterwards we can talk some more about this amazing future we have planned… So what do you think of the beach as a venue for the wedding…?"

 **THE END**

* * *

 **Well, there it is. I hope you've enjoyed this fic and I really appreciate the fact that there are people out there who have actually followed it. There are about a million things I would change about this story and I've had plenty of 'why the hell did I write that, it doesn't even** make **sense moments?' (usually immediately after posting a chapter!). But… once it's out there, it's too late to make major changes.**

 **Anyway, the story might not be perfect, but I'm pleased, and frankly amazed, with the fact that for the first time in my life I have planned and completed a multi-chapter story from start to finish.**

 **So, once again thanks for reading!**


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